Cleaning and Exam

Dental cleaning is performed by one of our registered dental hygienists, followed by a thorough exam by Dr. Russo.

The cleaning includes removal of plaque and tartar, inspection of gums, and a final polishing to buff out any stains that were not removed during your regular tooth brushing and flossing routine. 

If you have a history of oral health issues or a specific problem at the day of your visit, you may receive treatments beyond a typical dental cleaning.

A typical dental cleaning includes:

Removing plaque: Many people don’t know that plaque is actually a living colony of bacteria. It grows if it’s not removed, by feeding on food debris on the surface of your teeth. As it eats, it produces toxins that can inflame your gums, which is the cause of periodontal disease. Plaque is sticky and almost invisible, which makes it difficult or impossible to completely remove without a professional dental cleaning.

Removing tartar: Tartar is located both above and below your gum lines and it can only be removed via professional dental instruments. Essentially, tartar is hardened plaque that’s been left on the tooth and has attached itself to the tooth.

Polishing teeth: The final step is teeth polishing. During this step, your hygienist will use professional dental equipment to get rid of stains that wasn’t removed during your typical tooth brushing and flossing routine.

About Plaque

What Is Plaque?

Plaque is a sticky film that forms on your teeth every day: You know, that slippery/fuzzy coating you feel when you first wake up. 

Scientists call plaque a “biofilm” because it’s actually a community of living microbes surrounded by a gluey polymer layer. The sticky coating helps the microbes attach to surfaces in your mouth so they can grow into thriving microcolonies. 

The Difference Between Plaque and Tartar

When plaque isn’t regularly removed, it can accumulate minerals from your saliva and harden into an off-white or yellow substance called tartar. 

Tartar builds up along and under your gumline on the fronts and backs of your teeth. Although an attentive flossing may dislodge some tartar buildup, you’ll probably need to visit a dentist to rid yourself of all of it.  

What Causes Plaque?

Your mouth is a thriving ecosystem. Bacteria and other organisms come in when you eat, drink, and breathe. Most of the time, a delicate balance is maintained in your oral ecosystem, but problems can arise when certain strains of bacteria become overabundant. 

When you eat carbs and sugary foods and drinks, bacteria feed on the sugars, producing acids in the process. Those acids can cause problems like cavities, gingivitis, and other forms of tooth decay. 

Tooth decay from plaque can even happen under your gums where you can’t see it, eating away at the support for your teeth.

What Is the Treatment for Plaque?

You can remove plaque by brushing and flossing your teeth regularly with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Many dentists recommend electric toothbrushes because they are believed to be more effective at removing plaque.

Plaque that has hardened into tartar will have to be removed by a dental professional. Your dentist or oral hygienist can remove it when you have a regular dental checkup and cleaning. Because tartar can build up in hard-to-reach places, it’s very important to visit a dentist twice a year to keep it under control.

Perio Protect Treatment

The Perio Protect Method is a minimally invasive, comprehensive gum disease treatment.

Fighting gum disease requires vigilance and repetition. Fortunately, it doesn’t always require surgery.The innovative Perio Protect Method® utilizes patented, non-invasive Perio Trays® that are proven to deliver treatment deep into periodontal pockets, where toothbrushes, rinse, and floss fail to reach.These customized trays end the cycle of disease by extending treatment from the dental chair to the comfort of home. They’re also the only periodontal medicine delivery mechanism with certified FDA clearance.

The Perio Protect Method

Perio Protect is doctor-prescribed and patient-applied. When you receive your custom Perio Trays, our dental team will show you how to place a small amount of prescription medicine in each tray. You wear it for just minutes each day.

Our team will also design a treatment plan specifically for you, as the duration and frequency varies for each patient.The trays are designed with a patented seal to place and hold medication where it is most effective—at the site of infection deep below the gum line. A low concentration of hydrogen peroxide gently and thoroughly cleanses the periodontal pockets, combatting bacteria, whitening your teeth and freshening your breath

.For some patients, the non-invasive Perio Trays reduce the need for surgical intervention. For others, it can be a potent compliment to traditional treatment methods, helping to ensure a more successful outcome.

While there is no “cure” for gum disease, it can be managed with daily treatment to prevent pathogenic bacteria from recolonizing. When the desired results have been achieved, we will revise your treatment plan to maintain the results.

The Perio Protect Method is an appealing, minimally invasive option for advanced periodontitis and early-stage gum disease alike.

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