Visiting your dental team for a routine cleaning may sound unnecessary if you’re regular in brushing and flossing your teeth, but a professional cleaning helps eliminate any food debris, plaque, and tartar that can’t be removed at home.
After your cleaning, you’ll be advised not to eat or drink for at least 30 minutes after the procedure because of the fluoride treatment that’s applied to your teeth towards the end of the cleaning.
Fluoride treatment helps strengthen enamel but requires time to be absorbed. If we eat or drink after the fluoride is applied, it diminishes the benefits of the treatment.
Understanding Routine Exams & Dental Cleanings
Routine exams and dental cleanings are the backbone of preventative dental care. These visits aren’t just about keeping your oral hygiene maintained but also about sustaining overall oral health.
Dental cleanings are vital for improving and maintaining your oral health. Routine brushing and flossing are a great way of maintaining your oral health, but professional exams and cleanings help remove debris that can’t be done at home.
Regular visits allow dentists to remove plaque and tartar buildup that brushing and flossing can’t eliminate. This helps prevent cavities, gum disease, and other dental issues that could escalate if left untreated.
By removing plaque and tartar, which are breeding grounds for bacteria, these cleanings reduce the risk of developing serious dental problems such as gum disease or tooth decay.
The Canadian Dental Association encourages visiting your dentist for routine exams and cleanings every 6 months to prevent any potential issues and manage concerns early.
Early detection is key to effective treatment and can save you from more invasive procedures down the line. Regardless of age or health status, everyone benefits from regular dental exams and cleanings.
When Can I Eat After a Cleaning?
After a dental cleaning, your dentist will advise against eating or drinking right away. This is because of the fluoride varnish treatment applied towards the end of the cleaning.
This fluoride strengthens the enamel, which requires time to fully absorb the treatment. Eating or drinking too soon can wash away the fluoride, diminishing its protective effects.
Typically, fluoride varnish should remain on your teeth for at least 6 hours after application by your dental hygienist. This will allow the fluoride to fully penetrate the enamel and provide the best possible protection against tooth decay. It’s best not to eat, drink, or brush your teeth for at least 30 minutes after fluoride varnish has been applied.
Your teeth and gums may feel slightly sensitive from the scaling and polishing done during your cleaning. Consuming food or drinks can also cause discomfort or even pain. Plus any leftover fluoride can be ingested, which is not ideal for your health.
The most significant risk to drinking or eating immediately after a dental cleaning is undoing the benefits of fluoride treatment, potentially leading to enamel weakening and increased cavity risk.
After a dental cleaning, it’s recommended to wait at least 30 minutes to an hour before eating or drinking. This waiting time allows the enamel to fully absorb the fluoride and makes sure your teeth and gums have time to recover from the cleaning process.
After this waiting period, you can resume your regular diet – and treat yourself to your favourite food as a reward for visiting your dentist – without worrying about compromising your oral health!
What to Expect During an Exam & Dental Cleaning
Being in the exam chair can be uncomfortable for some. Our approach to dental care includes prioritizing comfort, relaxation, and education during your entire dental process, to alleviate any hesitation during your visit.
Your Dental Exam
During an exam, the dentist will inspect your teeth, gums, and mouth for any signs of issues like cavities, gum disease, or oral cancer. They will individually assess each tooth for signs of decay, damage, disease, or other concerns.
In some cases, you may be advised to have updated X-rays of your teeth and jaws. These images help your dental team examine portions of your teeth below the gumline and detect potential issues like oral cancer and cavities.
A dental exam generally starts with a review of your medical history, followed by a visual examination, and diagnostic testing (if needed). Overall, this comprehensive process helps detect any potential concerns early so they can be properly managed.
Your Dental Cleaning
A dental cleaning involves several steps to make sure your teeth are thoroughly cleaned and protected. This process involves scaling, polishing, flossing, and finishing with a fluoride treatment. Depending on the extent of the cleaning required, this process can take anywhere between 30 to 60 minutes.
A dental cleaning begins with scaling. Using a specialized tool, plaque and tartar buildup are removed from the surfaces of your teeth and beneath the gumline. Scaling helps remove buildup that brushing and flossing can’t reach.
Scaling itself isn’t painful, but it’s normal to feel slight discomfort after this process. Your gumline may feel a little irritated and inflamed, but this is nothing to worry about.
After scaling, your dental team will polish your teeth by using a specialized tooth and gritty paste. Polishing helps remove surface stains caused by coffee, tea, wine, and other staining agents and smooth the surface of your teeth. A smooth surface makes it more difficult for plaque and bacteria to adhere to your teeth, helping to maintain oral hygiene between visits.
During your cleaning, professional flossing will remove any residual plaque and food particles that scaling and polishing may have missed.
The final step in a routine dental cleaning is often a fluoride treatment. Fluoride is a mineral that helps strengthen tooth enamel, making it more resistant to decay and cavities.
During this treatment, a fluoride gel or foam is placed in a mouthpiece that you bite into for a few minutes. The fluoride treatment provides an added layer of protection and helps maintain the results of your dental cleaning. To obtain the full benefits of the treatment, avoid eating or drinking for at least 30 minutes.
Schedule an Appointment
Routine dental exams and cleanings are important in maintaining good oral hygiene and health. They help detect and prevent serious dental issues, keeping your smile bright and healthy.
Understanding what to expect during dental visits can help you feel more comfortable and prepared. Connect with our team at Elevate Dental to schedule an appointment for your routine exam and cleaning.
