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 Regular
dental visits are essential to maintaining healthy teeth and gums. A
professional cleaning removes plaque, calculus (tarter) and stain from the
teeth. This not only keeps your smile looking its best, but also helps
prevent serious dental disease (periodontal
disease) from occurring.
At your recall or dental check up appointment
you'll receive a cleaning and polishing of your teeth. This is called a
dental prophylaxis or prophy.
Your teeth need to be cleaned on a regular basis because the
build up plaque and calculus (tarter).
Plaque is a sticky film that constantly forms on your teeth. It is composed
of bacteria from your saliva, and by products from the foods that you have
eaten.
 Minerals
in your saliva combine with plaque at the tooth surface and form into hard,
rough deposits called calculus. This rough surface collects more plaque and
makes plaque more difficult to remove. Once calculus forms, it can not be
removed by brushing your teeth. Calculus is removed by special instruments
during your cleaning and the surface of the tooth is smoothed and polished
with a special paste in order to prevent this continuing cycle of plaque
-calculus build up.
Your cleaning includes calculus removal, polishing the tooth surface,
flossing to polish between the teeth and specific instructions, if needed,
on how to adapt you home procedures to best care for your teeth.
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