What Really Happens During a Dental Cleaning?

Getting your teeth cleaned by your dentist in Columbus or Powell, Ohio is a great way to maintain your overall oral health consistently. It's true that daily at-home maintenance on your part is essential. However, a tooth cleaning from the dentist or dental hygienist at your dental clinic is a welcome, much needed professional "reinforcement" to the regimen you already have going at home. But what's the difference between what happens at your clinic and what you do at home?

The Check-Up

Of course, the first big difference is you’ll undergo a professional check-up. A check-up not only entails a "second pair of eyes" that is more experienced and informed about the process than you are. It also means a better, closer look, thanks to tools like mirrors, and even an x-ray, if required. This check-up looks for potential problems with the teeth, but also with the gums, such as gingivitis and other gum diseases that may need to be addressed as soon as possible.

Scraping

If there is any plaque or tartar present, this will be professionally removed by your hygienist or dentist in Columbus or Powell, OH. Plaque and tartar are hard, almost rock-like deposits. The professional removal is done with a tool called a scraper. Depending on just how much plaque or tartar has accumulated in the mouth, this may be the most time-consuming part of the visit and may even require multiple visits. If the buildup is minimal, so will your time be in the chair. It's all dependent on just how diligent you are at home with preventing plaque and tartar buildup.

Brushing Your Teeth

Once the plaque and tartar removal are complete, the next stage is brushing your teeth. However, unlike your regular "manual" or even electric toothbrush, this will involve a professionally powered dental brush, and, more importantly, a special "industrial strength" toothpaste. This toothpaste has a grittier consistency than what you buy in stores, and so it “scours” your mouth in a more comprehensive fashion than the gentler toothpaste that’s commercially available.

Flossing

Once the brushing is complete, you'll get your teeth professionally flossed. The difference here is a more experienced, thorough hand at work that can get into all the spots that you might not always be able to reach for deeper flossing. When the flossing is done, there's a final rinse, often with a liquid fluoride, to get rid of any leftover detritus in your mouth, as well as to give your mouth a healthy boost.

Fluoride Application

Even though you may have just rinsed your mouth with fluoride, you're still not done yet! Your hygienist or dentist in Columbus or Powell, Ohio will now put either a gel or sticky paste into a mouthpiece that is packed with fluoride. You then sit with this mouthpiece in your mouth and let your teeth directly absorb the fluoride for a minute or so. In some cases, you may have an additional fluoride "varnish" that is applied directly to each tooth with a brush, for further reinforcement.

Once this is all done, you are set! You've had a check-up, any dental concerns have been noted or addressed, and, most important of all, you've had a thorough, professional such as Infinite Smiles deep cleaning for your teeth and gums to remove all plaque or tartar and reinforced your teeth with fluoride. You're ready to go until your next cleaning and check-up, which should be scheduled at least every six months.

Infinite Smiles offers a level of expertise and care like no one else. Our doctors travel the world teaching other dentists how to use the latest dental technology. They are more than experts, and they will also make sure you are comfortable. Let Infinite Smiles help you move towards the beautiful smile you’ve always wanted. Don’t wait to take that first step toward the smile you have always wanted. Call us today at 740-881-2600 or use our online form to schedule an appointment.

What Are the Benefits of Dental Veneers?

Benefits of Getting Dental Implants at Infinite Smiles

You may already be seeing a dentist in Powell, Ohio, or maybe you're thinking of visiting an orthodontist in Columbus, Ohio for the first time. If you're seeing either dental professional because you have missing teeth, Infinite Smiles can provide you with one possible solution that is both healthy and convenient for you: dental implants. But what are dental implants, and how can they help?

Substitute Teeth

As opposed to dentures, which require the removal of all teeth on the upper or lower jaw and replace them with a false set of teeth sitting over the gums, a dentist at Infinite Smiles might suggest an implant to replace a single tooth or a set of teeth. Through this process, a "hypoallergenic screw” is set into the bone of the jaw. This screw is usually made of titanium or zirconia, which will not engage the body's immune response to reject a foreign substance. 

The screw, once inserted into the bone, also starts a process known as osseointegration, just like real roots in a tooth. Osseointegration means the bone recognizes the presence of the screw as a natural part of the body that requires anchorage, and so the bone grows up around it, strengthening both the area around the screw and locking down the position of the screw even more tightly. On top of the screw, a replacement tooth is implanted and looks indistinguishable from the other teeth.

Full Dietary Range

One of the most significant disadvantages of dentures is the limit on your dietary choices. Seeds, nuts, peanut butter, raw fruits and vegetables, and even tough, chewy foods all either require extreme care when eating, or they should be avoided entirely. Unlike your natural and firmly implanted teeth, dentures are far easier to dislodge and move.

Dental implants help a person resume eating all the food they are used to eating, and they can chew just as naturally as they did before. So, if you've been missing your peanut butter because you have dentures, a visit to an Infinite Smiles orthodontist in Columbus, Ohio for dental implants can restore your favorite peanut butter craving.

Normal Speech

If a tooth or two are missing, through an accident or dental extraction from decay, it will affect speech. The loss of many teeth changes the way the mouth forms words, and the specific position of a missing tooth can create a "whistling" sound from breathing as a person speaks. With the use of dental implants, not only are teeth restored but so are the enunciations and speech patterns a person was accustomed to.

Same Day Service

In the past, an orthodontist in Columbus, Ohio would require a patient to undergo multiple appointments to get dental implants. The reason for this was logistical. It took time—and often completely different facilities—to accurately measure the mouth and teeth for custom-fit implants. Then measurements were sent to a different lab where the implants would be made, and then those were sent back to the clinic for the orthodontist to perform the actual procedure.

Today, thanks to advances in technology and our own investment in our facilities, Infinite Smiles can do everything “on-site.” Measurements are taken, that information is sent straight into a chairside milling machine, and the custom-made crowns are ready to go in less than an hour.

Safe Removal

Despite the best efforts to take care of implants, sometimes things do happen. There may be an accident, where a fall or other impact to the mouth can damage crowns. A bout of gum disease caused by regular smoking may also weaken the bond the implants have in the mouth. On the rarest occasions, the implants may fail.

Orthodontists at Infinite Smiles have all the experience and equipment required to safely remove implants, or to conduct work on damaged ones to repair or replace them, getting your mouth back to its full function, with the same bright smile as before.

Infinite Smiles offers a level of expertise and care like no one else. Our doctors travel the world teaching other dentists how to use the latest dental technology. They are more than experts, and they will also make sure you are comfortable. Let Infinite Smiles help you move towards the beautiful smile you’ve always wanted. Don’t wait to take that first step toward the smile you have always wanted. Call us today at 740-881-2600 or use our online form to schedule an appointment.