Oral Hygiene and Periodontology
What is oral hygiene?
Dental hygiene is the dental practice aimed at keeping the oral cavity clean and reducing its bacterial load. This, in turn, lowers the risk of developing dental, gum, or mucosal diseases caused by bacteria.
The most common tooth-related disease caused by bacteria is tooth decay (caries), while for the gums it’s gingivitis.
The dentist or dental hygienist is responsible for professional hygiene treatments carried out in the clinic, such as teeth cleaning sessions in Padua.
Those who perform dental hygiene are also trained in cosmetic procedures, such as the removal of stains caused by smoking (e.g., using bicarbonate) or discoloration from certain foods and drinks.
Why is professional teeth cleaning important?
Professional teeth cleaning refers specifically to the procedures performed in a dental clinic.
To highlight its importance, our clinic performs oral hygiene sessions daily.
The mouth is a space rich in bacteria, which must be kept under control. Under normal conditions, these bacteria coexist without causing problems. However, when this balance becomes disrupted, oral diseases may develop.
Also, let’s not forget that the oral cavity is in constant contact with the external environment, which makes it even more vulnerable to bacterial contamination.
Furthermore, teeth are not protected by the immune system, they don’t have their own defenses, so they require continuous home care to prevent the buildup of plaque and tartar.
It’s important to emphasize that most of the dental hygiene work is done at home by the patient.
The key is knowing how to do it properly!
Many people already have dental restorations in their mouths, such as crowns, bridges, or implants, which can attract more bacterial buildup and therefore require even more diligent home cleaning.
Dental cleaning is important because with perfect oral hygiene, a patient may never need to visit the dentist, except for orthodontic or aesthetic reasons.
This would be possible because the absence of harmful bacteria would prevent the development of both tooth and gum diseases.
Analysis of the situation
First of all, the dental hygienist or dentist checks the condition of the oral cavityProfessional consultancy
During treatment, you will be informed about the main problems with your teeth.Teeth cleaning
Teeth cleaning procedure is performedAppointment scheduling
To avoid more serious problems, we can already schedule an appointment for the next cleaning.Plaque and tartar
Until now, we hadn’t yet spoken specifically about plaque and tartar. In fact, when we mentioned a buildup of bacteria, we were mainly referring to these two.
Plaque is a sort of film, more specifically, a biofilm, that accumulates on the tooth surface. It’s mostly made up of bacteria and food debris, but since it’s still soft in consistency, it can be easily removed using either a manual or electric toothbrush.
To understand what tartar is, we must consider that saliva contains many mineral salts. When these minerals mix with the plaque already present on the teeth, they cause it to harden and become firmly attached to the tooth surface.
Unlike plaque, tartar cannot be removed with just a toothbrush or dental floss. It requires ultrasonic instruments, and therefore a professional cleaning at the dentist’s office.
Periodontal disease
The term periodontium refers to all the structures that support the tooth. Simply put, this includes the gums, bone, and periodontal fibers (which connect the tooth to the bone).
When gum inflammation becomes excessive, it can develop into periodontal disease.
It's common to confuse periodontal disease with “pyorrhea,” but they are not exactly the same thing.
To simplify, periodontal disease can be divided into two types depending on severity:
Gingivitis: inflammation of the gums that causes bleeding. It is generally a reversible condition.
Periodontitis: commonly referred to as pyorrhea, this involves the formation of periodontal pockets, which are caused by bone loss around one or more teeth.
To clarify: untreated gingivitis can progress into periodontitis.
Periodontal pockets
Periodontal pockets deserve special mention because, even though they are quite common, they are often not treated properly.
As mentioned, a periodontal pocket is a deepened space that forms around the tooth, which is very difficult for the patient to clean thoroughly, especially when the pocket is deep.
There are mild bone losses that can be maintained without worsening for many years,
and others that are so severe around a tooth that they cause loss of support, tooth mobility, and ultimately the need for extraction.
What often surprises patients is that a tooth lost due to periodontal disease may appear completely healthy otherwise.
Treatment involves deep and regular cleanings, performed with ultrasonic and manual instruments to remove food particles and bacteria that have accumulated at the bottom of the “pocket.”
As with most dental procedures, this treatment is not painful, especially since it is often performed under local anesthesia.
Bone loss between two teeth
Do you have dental problems or would like to improve your smile?
Book a consultation now to evaluate your case!
How often should you have your teeth cleaned?
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer, it depends on many factors, the most important being how well the patient maintains oral hygiene at home.
Often, professional cleaning sessions also serve as an opportunity to check the patient’s overall oral health or to perform control X-rays, if necessary.
For these reasons, we can say that on average, patients come to our clinic for professional dental cleaning every six months.
However, depending on individual needs, some patients may come every 4 months, while others only need it every 12 months.
Has it been a long time since your last cleaning?
If it’s been a while since your last professional cleaning, and you’d also like to have a check-up, book a visit at our clinic in Padua. We’ll be happy to assist you!
Request Information or Book an Appointment
Our dental therapies
