Has it been a while since your last dental visit? Need to schedule a routine cleaning for your family? Visit Coastal General Dentistry in Virginia Beach, VA, for professional cleanings.
Regular dental cleanings help prevent tooth and gum infections. Led by Dr. Cappy Sinclair, our skilled team uses special tools to clean your teeth and gums. These tools remove plaque and tartar that you can’t get rid of with regular brushing.
We also check for signs of tooth decay and gum disease. Tooth infections can cause pain, sensitivity, and color changes. Early signs of gum disease include red, swollen, or sore gums. If we catch these problems early, we can treat them before they get worse. Keep reading to learn more about the types of cleanings we offer and why regular cleanings are important.
The Benefits of Dental Cleanings
Even if you brush and floss daily, bacteria and plaque can still build up in your mouth. This buildup can cause bad breath, gum disease, and cavities. Professional cleanings are the best way to prevent these issues.
Regular cleanings offer many benefits. They’re much more effective than brushing and flossing at home. First, we remove plaque and tartar, which can lead to cavities and gum disease. We reach spots your toothbrush and floss might miss.
Second, cleanings let us check for early signs of problems like gingivitis and cavities. Finding these issues early makes them easier to treat. Finally, cleanings make your smile look and feel great. You’ll leave with cleaner, healthier teeth.
You only need a cleaning twice a year. This small time commitment can make a big difference for your dental health. Don’t wait – a bright, healthy smile is worth the visit.
Types of Dental Cleanings
We offer different types of dental cleanings based on your needs. These include regular cleanings, scaling and root planing, and gum maintenance.
- Prophylaxis: Regular cleanings help prevent gum disease. During these cleanings, we remove tartar from your teeth and gums. This also helps freshen your breath and brighten your smile.
- Scaling and Root Planing: If you have gum disease, we offer scaling and root planing. Scaling removes plaque and tartar below the gum line. Root planing smooths out tooth roots to prevent gum pockets and tooth loss.
- Periodontal Maintenance: For patients with gum disease, we recommend more frequent cleanings called gum maintenance. This keeps your gums in the best shape possible.
Dental Cleanings for Children
We also offer routine cleanings for children. These cleanings help kids build good habits for healthy teeth. Regular checkups can prevent cavities and tooth decay. We can also catch problems early during these visits.
Many kids feel nervous about going to the dentist. To help your child feel better, try reading books or playing games about dentist visits. Bringing a favorite toy or blanket can also make them feel more at ease.
Our gentle team will make sure your child feels comfortable during their cleaning. Schedule an appointment today for your child to meet our friendly dentists and team!
Dental Cleanings FAQs
Learn more about dental cleanings in our Virginia Beach, VA office with answers to these patient questions:
How Long Does a Dental Cleaning Appointment Take?
At our Virginia Beach dental practice, a standard cleaning appointment usually takes about 45-60 minutes. This gives our hygienists enough time to perform a comprehensive exam, take X-rays to check for hidden issues, and carefully clean all surfaces of your teeth.
We also include time to evaluate your bite and jaw function, as problems in these areas can affect your overall oral health. If it’s been a while since your last cleaning or if we find significant tartar buildup, the appointment might take slightly longer. We always prioritize thoroughness over speed to give you the best possible care.
Does a Dental Cleaning Hurt?
Most patients find dental cleanings completely comfortable, especially when they come in regularly. Our hygienists use special tools to remove plaque and tartar gently without irritating your gums. You might feel some light pressure or occasional sensitivity if you have gum inflammation, but we can adjust to keep you comfortable.
For patients with extra-sensitive teeth or anxiety about discomfort, we offer numbing gels or other comfort options. Just let us know beforehand. Remember, any mild discomfort during cleaning is far less than the pain of untreated gum disease or cavities that can develop without regular cleanings.
Can I Eat or Drink Before a Dental Cleaning?
You don’t need to skip meals before your dental cleaning. In fact, it’s perfectly fine to eat normally beforehand. Having a light snack or meal is actually a good idea, especially since you might need to wait about 30 minutes before eating after certain fluoride treatments.
Just remember to brush your teeth after eating and before your appointment. This helps us get a clearer look at your teeth during the exam and makes the cleaning process work even better.
For those early morning visits, your morning coffee or tea is completely okay. But remember that these drinks can leave temporary stains on your teeth. This might make it a little harder for us to spot any early signs of cavities during the exam. A quick rinse with water after your coffee can help minimize this effect.
The main thing is to come comfortable and ready for your cleaning. We’ll take care of the rest to keep your smile looking its best.
Can Dental Cleanings Help with Bad Breath?
If you’re dealing with bad breath that just won’t go away, a professional dental cleaning can definitely make a difference. When you come in for your appointment, we do more than just polish your teeth. We remove that stubborn tartar buildup that traps smelly bacteria, especially down near your gums where your toothbrush can’t reach.
We also give your tongue a good cleaning because that’s where a lot of odor-causing bacteria like to hide. If your bad breath is coming from gum disease or cavities, we’ll spot these problems and help fix them.
To keep your breath fresh longer, we might suggest special tools like tongue cleaners or medicated mouthwashes that work best for your particular situation. Regular cleanings combined with these at-home tips can help you feel more confident about your breath every day.
Why Do My Gums Sometimes Bleed During Cleanings?
If your gums bleed during a dental cleaning, it’s usually a sign of gingivitis. This happens when sticky plaque builds up around your gums and hardens into tartar. The tartar irritates your gums, making them swollen and more likely to bleed when touched.
This bleeding is actually why cleanings are so important. By removing the tartar that’s irritating your gums, we’re helping your mouth heal. If you keep up with regular cleanings and brush and floss well at home, you should notice your gums becoming pinker, firmer, and less likely to bleed within a few weeks.
Occasional bleeding is normal during cleanings if you have gingivitis. Gums that keep bleeding even with good oral care might mean we need to look deeper. Sometimes persistent gum problems can be related to other health issues that we should check out together.
What’s The Difference Between a Regular Cleaning and Deep Cleaning?
The regular cleaning you’re familiar with, called a prophylaxis cleaning, is what most patients with healthy gums receive. This cleaning focuses on removing the plaque and tartar that builds up above your gumline to keep your teeth clean and smooth.
However, when gum disease starts to develop, a deeper cleaning becomes necessary. This happens when gums begin to pull away from teeth, creating little pockets where harmful tartar can hide below the gumline. We call this deeper cleaning “scaling and root planing.” It’s more thorough than a regular cleaning. During this procedure, we carefully clean the roots of your teeth to help your gums heal and reattach properly.
The good news is that regular checkups help us catch gum problems early. At each visit, we measure your gum pockets. These measurements tell us whether a regular cleaning will do the job or if a deeper cleaning is needed to get your gums back to health.
Are Dental Cleanings Safe During Pregnancy?
Getting your teeth cleaned while pregnant is actually important for you and your baby. Those pregnancy hormones can make your gums more sensitive and prone to swelling (called “pregnancy gingivitis”). Some research suggests this gum inflammation might be connected to early labor.
At our office, we take extra care with our expecting patients. We’ll make sure you’re comfortable in the chair and use only pregnancy-safe cleaning methods. Many women find the second trimester works best for dental visits, since morning sickness usually eases up by then.
Just be sure to let us know you’re expecting when you schedule your appointment. That way we can skip certain types of X-rays unless they’re absolutely needed. We’ll adjust our approach to keep you and your baby completely safe.
Call Our Office Today
Ready to schedule a dental cleaning at our Virginia Beach office? Call us at 757-216-9914 or schedule an appointment online. If you have any questions about your oral health, feel free to ask.
We’ll help you set up the right cleaning schedule based on your needs. We look forward to seeing you at your next visit.