Your Complete Guide to Dental Check-ups and Professional Cleaning

How often should I really go for a dental check-up?

For most, 6 monthly dental visits are advised. For others, a little more assistance in keeping their teeth and gums in good health is required. We help the latter group by scheduling them in for 3-4 monthly dental visits. It would be wise to seek the advice of a registered dentist to determine exactly how often you should be coming in for a dental check-up.

Think about it this way: the average person has 3 meals a day. If you're trying to lose weight, you might opt for 1-2 meals a day. If you're a competitive athlete, you might opt for perhaps 5-6 meals a day. Much like meal routines, when it comes to dental check-up routines, what's best for you might not be what's best for your neighbour.

What happens if I skip dental check-ups for too long?

Skipping dental check-ups can be likened to skipping routine 6 monthly car servicing appointments. Skip the servicing appointments, and there'll be a greater risk of sudden breakdowns. The car would be more accident-prone. The repair costs in the event of an accident would probably be much higher than a routine servicing appointment. Not to mention, having to suddenly go a few days or weeks or even months without your car would be quite inconvenient too.

Similarly, regular dental check-ups allow us to keep on top of your oral health. It minimizes the chances of diseases or infections - including cavities - developing to a point where they start to suddenly hurt you. For the most part, it allows you to come in at your own time and convenience rather than have your routine disrupted abruptly by dental pain requiring immediate attention. And it probably saves you some dollars too, as routine check-ups and cleans tend to be priced lower than emergency treatments.

How do I prepare for a dental check-up if I haven't gone in years?

There's no preparation for a dental check-up required, whether you're the most regular patient or you haven't gone in years. For those that haven't been in for a while, it might be that over the years, dental anxieties and phobias have manifested. The mental block might be challenging to overcome. However, I'd urge you to take a leap of faith. Trust us, and rest assured, we will take care of you fully and do our absolute best to make sure you have a great experience once you're in our clinic. Where I practice, at Aesthete SmileStudio, we've optimized our environment to create a peaceful and relaxing vibe for our guests.

How do dentists check for cavities during a check-up?

There are a few criteria we use to check for cavities:

• Presence of a visible "hole"
• Appearance of a grey-ish "shadow"
• Rugged outline of a discoloration
• Area in question is soft to touch
• Portion of the tooth appearing "black" on an x-ray

Do I need a cleaning if I brush and floss regularly?

Yes, you do need regular professional cleaning even if you brush and floss regularly.

The top athletes, whether Cristiano Ronaldo in football or Carlos Alcaraz in tennis, continue to work under the tutelage of coaches. A dentist can be likened to an elite sports coach. Even if you might be brushing and flossing regularly, we are here to help you. We will hopefully validate your efforts. Alternatively, we might suggest corrections in your techniques. Either way, we'll give you a professional dental cleaning using our specialized instruments to help you along. It's all about the finer details!

Can a dentist clean teeth with braces or aligners?

A dentist should especially clean teeth that are undergoing active orthodontic treatment involving braces or aligners.

Traditional braces, with its rail-track appearance, have proven to be challenging for many individuals to clean at home using a toothbrush. Sadly, we sometimes find that on removal, there is decay around the area where the braces were.

Aligners, meanwhile, tend to trap any plaque around the gums and teeth, create the perfect environment for the bacteria in the plaque (sludgy off-white bits of bacteria and food debris that stick onto teeth, particularly around the gum line) to grow and reproduce by blocking off protective saliva, and potentially rub against and irritate the gums further. It is therefore also really important that if you're undergoing aligner treatment, your oral health is closely supervised by a dental professional.

Is dental cleaning painful?

It shouldn't be.

Is ultrasonic cleaning safe?

Ultrasonic scaling is a safe and effective way of removing dental plaque and calculus from the teeth, provided that the device (ultrasonic scaler) is used by a responsible professional with the appropriate technique.

Why do my gums bleed during cleaning - is that normal?

Gums sometimes bleed during cleaning, but this is not something that should be considered normal. Consider this: if you've been bruised and someone presses their finger into the bruise, it will be uncomfortable, won't it? Your gums have been somewhat "bruised" as a consequence of the plaque (sludgy off-white bits of bacteria and food debris that stick onto teeth, particularly around the gum line) and calculus (solidified plaque) that has come into close contact with it. When the dental instruments used to clean it out touch the "bruised" gum, bleeding occurs. The longer the "bruised" gum has been left unattended, the more the bleeding that will occur. Hence, it's best to present regularly for check-ups and cleans to minimize this occurrence.

Will cleaning make my teeth whiter?

Possibly! Dental cleaning focuses on removing dental plaque - which is off-white, dental calculus - which is either yellowish or brownish, and surface-level stains - such as those caused by coffees and teas, from your teeth. The cleaning exposes the natural tooth colour. If the natural tooth colour is whiter than the colour of the plaque, calculus or staining, then cleaning will make your teeth appear whiter.

If not, options such as professional teeth whitening or veneers or crowns may be considered to make your teeth whiter.

Is it normal to have sensitivity after a dental cleaning?

In some cases, sensitivity does occur after a dental cleaning. This tends to be temporary, lasting usually for only a couple of days. We advise the management of this sensitivity by using either (1) an anti-sensitivity toothpaste, ie sensodyne, or, (2) tooth mousse.

Why does my breath improve after a professional cleaning?

Plaque does not smell good. Calculus does not smell good. Irritated gums do not smell good. A professional cleaning removes plaque and calculus, and soothes the irritated gums. Therefore, breath tends to improve after a professional cleaning.

How long does a dental cleaning last in terms of results?

Brushing and flossing/using interdental aids regularly with the correct techniques, along with appropriate management of other mitigating factors such as excessive tea/coffee drinking, will prolong the results of your dental cleaning.

At the end of the day, you and I have the same ambition: for you to have good oral health. However long dental cleaning results last for you, we'll be here to help you. As mentioned earlier, some individuals require 3-4 monthly visits, while others only need to come in on a 6 monthly basis.

Should children go for dental check-ups as often as adults?

Yes! With children, a common misconception is that their teeth are only temporary, so as long as they are not in pain, all is well and fine. However, this is a fundamentally incorrect belief for several reasons.

• Habits are hard to change. The same habits that might cause problems to their baby teeth will likely cause problems to their adult teeth. During these 6 monthly check-ups and cleans, harmful patterns can be spotted and addressed earlier.
• It's important to set them on the right path from a young age (as a rule of thumb, it is time for a dental visit when your baby's first tooth becomes visible or they reach 12 months old – whichever comes first) by making 6 monthly dental check-ups for your child a part of their lifestyle routine.
• By keeping on top of their oral health, any issues can be treated while they are in their infancy. Early treatment tends to be a lot more comfortable than late-stage pain management, and allows for the child to develop dental calmness rather than dental anxieties or phobias.