Keep your smile healthy and beautiful with regular teeth cleaning
Yes, as a prosthodontist, Dr. Stephen Alfano is specially trained in replacing lost or deficient oral tissues. So, he is among the best professionals in Newport Beach, California, and beyond to replace teeth lost due to severe decay or to build up supportive gums that were degraded due to advanced periodontal disease. Yet, the loss of these tissues can be prevented with oral prophylaxis, the fancy way of referring to professional teeth cleaning.
The importance of visits to Balboa Island Dentistry
Generally, patients who are not at increased risk of developing gum disease, oral and pharyngeal cancers, and tooth decay should visit our office every six months or two times per year. During these biannual appointments, our seasoned dental hygienists will use their unique skills and instruments to remove surface stains gently, bacteria, plaque, and stubborn plaque build-up (tartar or calculus) from the teeth and gum line.
Additionally, they use specialized tools to measure the pockets between the teeth and gums. Periodontal pockets form as gums become inflamed. Pockets become deeper if gum disease is allowed to progress. In turn, we can use these measurements to help determine the presence of gum disease and the extent or severity of the periodontal disease. This information is used to create an effective treatment plan that halts the progression of the disease and prevents irreparable damage to the gums and supporting bone.
Patients also love how fresh their mouth feels and how great their breath smells after a nice tooth polishing! A complete oral exam also accompanies regular teeth cleanings. Dr. Alfano’s keen eye and advanced diagnostics aid in identifying early gum inflammation, enamel erosion, and pre-cancerous lesions. These early-stage oral problems are often “silent” or do not produce symptoms such as bleeding or discomfort. You may think your mouth is perfectly healthy, and Dr. Alfano may discover a problem that needs to be fixed before it turns into a more significant and more damaging issue.
One-of-a-kind care for one-of-a-kind smiles
As noted, the 6-month cleaning is standard; however, you are a unique individual. Your medical record, family history, lifestyle, diet, comorbidities, medications, age, hygiene habits, and all sorts of other factors can either increase or reduce your risk of developing oral conditions such as oral cancer and advanced gum disease. We recommend more frequent dental check-ups for patients with risk factors like smoking. Additionally, if we detect gum disease, a “deep cleaning” may be recommended to treat the condition and restore the health of your gums. This cleaning is known as “scaling and root planing.” The “scaling” part refers to removing plaque from underneath the gum line, while the “planing” step in the process involves smoothing out the roots of the tooth. Rough or uneven surfaces tend to attract disease-producing plaque.
Many oral conditions are progressive. That means we have numerous opportunities to stop destructive processes in their tracks! Call Balboa Island Dentistry at (949) 673-7820 today to schedule your appointment.
