Tag Archives: teeth cleaning

How Long Should Dental Cleanings Take?

December 27, 2022General Dentistrydental cleaning, general dentist, routine dental visit, teeth cleaningAlan Zabolian

People of all ages know about the importance of annual dental cleanings. In fact, most dentists recommend that folks get their teeth professionally cleaned at least twice a year. Patients who visit their trusted dentist in downtown Los Angeles want to know more about how this process works and how much time it usually takes from start to finish.

How Long Should Dental Cleanings Take?

If you are like one of our excellent patients and have the question, “How long should dental cleanings take?”, this article is for you. Keep reading to learn more about the dental cleaning process and find out what’s involved so you can schedule your oral health checkup accordingly.

How Dental Cleanings Work

Depending on the results of your exam, your dentist should typically recommend a dental cleaning that works in a series of steps. These steps can be performed fairly quickly, giving you a smooth and easy process.

Step 1: Screening and Scaling

At the beginning of your dental cleaning, your dentist will first want to remove a layer of dirt and grime that is stuck between your gums and your teeth. They will use a process known as scaling, which uses a small tool to remove this dirt. While this part of cleaning doesn’t take long, the dentist may pause from time to time to ensure you are comfortable.

Step 2: Polishing

After the dirt has been cleaned from your teeth, your dentist will move on to the polishing phase, which is often one of the more enjoyable parts of the dental cleaning process. We can use a polishing paste that comes in a number of different flavors. Your dentist will polish each tooth individually to restore its bright shine. This will also break up plaque and tartar that might have been building up on your teeth over time.

Step 3: Flossing and Brushing

Your dentist will brush and floss your teeth for you. Then we show you the best way to take care of your teeth at home. Using dental-grade floss, they will remove dust and dirt. These might have shown up in between your teeth from the food you eat. If you have any signs of infection or decay, your dentist may go on to recommend that you get a cavity filling. This can typically happen in a separate session.

All that’s left is to rinse out your mouth and your teeth. Your dentist may give you a mouthwash with a pleasing taste to help you feel better after the cleaning process. If you have any more questions about your dental healthcare at this time, please reach out to your trusted dental specialist right away.

Average Treatment Times

Depending on your individual dental needs, your cleaning can take anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes. Your dental team will want to discuss the steps involved in a dental cleaning. This helps ensure that you end up prepared for this type of procedure. It remains a smooth and easy experience that should not cause lingering discomfort when the procedure wraps up. If you can schedule a little bit of time during your day for this important treatment, you should try to make it work for you ASAP.

Learn More About Dental Cleanings Today

At Samaritan Dental Arts, we invest in only the best for your overall health and well-being. Get in touch with our experts to learn more about how you can make the most out of top-notch teeth cleaning in downtown Los Angeles. We offer personalized treatments that center on your individual needs, from basic oral health checkups to individualized plans of care. Get in touch with us today to learn more about our friendly dental services!

What is Dental Plaque and Why Remove It?

November 23, 2022Preventive Dentistrydental cleaning, routine dental visit, teeth cleaningAlan Zabolian

Dental plaque is a sticky, filmy substance that forms on your teeth’s surface after you eat. When the bacteria naturally found in your mouth mixes with sugars and starches from unhealthy foods, dental plaque forms. If you don’t remove plaque promptly, tartar can harden and turn into tartar. This can lead to serious conditions such as gum disease or tooth loss.

What is Dental Plaque and Why Remove It?

Your local, top-rated dentist in DTLA wants to answer the question, “What is dental plaque and why remove it?” Below, we will teach you about the main causes of plaque and how to keep it away from your teeth with regular dental cleanings. You can prevent plaque buildup and tartar from causing major dental restoration needs, which are costly to both your wallet and your health.

What is Dental Plaque?

There are naturally occurring bacteria in your mouth that can help you clean up after eating. These ingredients can stick to your teeth if you eat sugary or starchy foods. Acid can be released when bacteria reacts with the leftover food. This creates plaque, a sticky and sticky substance that sticks to your teeth.

Signs and Symptoms of Plaque

It is easy to determine if your teeth are stained. Take a look at how they feel. Are your teeth feeling swollen or irritated when you wake up each morning? Plaque buildup could be the reason. Bad breath or tender gums may be signs of a buildup.

Brush your teeth immediately if you find plaque on your teeth. This will help remove plaque before it becomes tartar. A dentist may be required to remove tartar from your teeth if it forms, although tartar is incredibly hard and sticky. Special tools and materials may be necessary to fully remove the tartar that has built up.

Why Remove Plaque Right Away

You could end up with more serious problems if you don’t remove plaque promptly. A poor oral hygiene can cause gum disease or other irreversible conditions. Plaque can lead to many complications, including:

Tooth loss
Infection/abscess
Gingivitis
Tooth decay
Cavities
Gum disease

An overabundance in plaque or tartar is easy to identify. To determine the extent of plaque buildup on your teeth, your dentist will use x-rays and dental tools during an assessment. A follow-up appointment may be necessary to treat plaque through a number of different procedures, including root scaling and deep cleaning.

How to Prevent and Treat Plaque

It is possible to remove plaque from your teeth without causing tartar. It is difficult to remove tartar once it has formed. These are the top ways to remove tartar and prevent it from getting worse.

Get fluoride toothpaste. Toothpaste containing tartar-controlling fluoride may help to reduce plaque buildup.
Regularly floss and brush your teeth. Brush your teeth twice daily and floss once a day. You should floss once a day and brush your teeth twice a day to remove plaque from between them.
Pay attention to what you eat. It doesn’t mean you have to follow a strict diet. However, it is important to not eat too many sugary or starchy foods on a daily basis.

At Samaritan Dental Arts, we offer a number of proactive plaque and tartar treatment options to help you treat your dental maladies right away. When it comes to plaque, it is best to get it treated as quickly as you can.

Advanced Plaque Removal Options ASAP

Contact our friendly team today if you have concerns about tartar buildup on your teeth or if you would like to schedule a semi-annual tooth cleaning. It is important to get routine dental exams in DTLA in order to prevent plaque and tartar from gaining control. Get in touch with us today to find out what a routine cleaning can do for you!

Are Your Teeth Connected to Your Sinuses?

February 22, 2019Preventive Dentistryhealth, sinus, sinuses, teeth cleaningAlan Zabolian

For patients who have been consistently struggling with sinus infections that never seem to end, there may be a link between their oral health and the constant slew of sinus infections. If you have been experiencing frequent sinus infections and can’t quite locate a plausible reason, you may be transferring bad bacteria from your teeth into your sinuses. Read more about how your teeth are connected to your sinuses and find out if you are due for a teeth cleaning in Los Angeles with this educational article from Samaritan Dental. See how your dentist can be doing more for you when you schedule an initial consultation with Samaritan Dental today!

How Your Teeth Can Affect Your Sinus Health

While not all your illnesses can be related back to the health of your mouth and teeth, studies show that about 20% of patients with consistent sinus health problems have a correlation with the health of their teeth. This happens because of the proximity between your teeth and your sinus system, and the ease at which bad bacteria from your mouth can transfer up through your bloodstream, and into your sinuses. It is easy for the bad bacteria to travel in this way because the barrier between your sinuses and the root of your teeth is extremely thin. If you have any bad bacteria in your mouth or advancing signs of tooth decay that have yet to be treated, you could continue to experience an onslaught of sinus infections until the oral infection has been taken care of.

While regular, untreated cavities are the usually the main culprit in creating consistent sinus infections, other oral health factors can also contribute. If you have developed an abscess along the line of gums, or if you are suffering from gum disease, you are more at risk to develop chronic sinus infections, as that bacteria is not only bad, it is also growing with any new bacteria that is not completely cleaned from your mouth. An abscess is a small infection that forms a bubble effect in the gum line above your teeth. If an abscess forms in your mouth, it can often mean you have severe tooth decay, or advanced gum damage. Abscesses make you much more likely to develop consistent sinus infections, and they should be treated as soon as possible to ensure that they cannot continue to cause further damage to your oral health. If you need to schedule a teeth cleaning in Los Angeles to make sure your oral health is well maintained, call the offices of Samaritan Dental today to get started!

Severe gum damage and gum disease can also lead to the development of more frequent sinus infections, as your gums are permeable and are also closely located to your sinuses. Gum disease can present itself through a myriad of different symptoms, but if you are experiencing pain that seems to mostly resonate from the gums or internal skin of your mouth, you may want to consider seeing your dentist to get a more in depth understanding of your symptoms. No matter what ill health you are experiencing with your oral or sinus care, always be sure to ask your physician for the best course of treatment to start feeling better!

Teeth Cleaning in Los Angeles

Maintaining your oral health will certainly improve your overall physicality, and to do that, you should be sure to schedule a regular teeth cleaning in Los Angeles at least once every six months. Find a dentist who can give you focused attention and quality work when you call Samaritan Dental now and schedule your initial consultation with Dr. Zabolian today!