Here Is What Happens During Teeth Cleaning Session

Dental care for elderly in nursing homes should include teeth cleaning sessions from time to time. A lot of people don’t like teeth cleanings. Between the strange noises, prodding, and occasional discomfort of jaws, it is easy to understand their apprehensions. However, when done by a professional, tooth cleaning is painless and simple. Knowing what is going on during the teeth cleaning process can relieve your stress and allow you to enjoy the good results.

A physical exam

Dental hygienists do most of teeth cleanings. Before the actual teeth cleaning process, they begin with a physical exam of your entire mouth. Dental hygienists use a small mirror to observe around your gums and teeth for signs of gingivitis or other concerns. If major problems are detected, the hygienist will call the dentist to ensure it is fine to proceed.

Removal of tartar and plaque

This is an important part of teeth cleaning as part of the dental care for elderly. The dentist uses a small mirror for guiding him and a scaler to remove all of the tartar and plaque buildup around your gum line and between the teeth. Scraping will be experienced but this shouldn’t scare you because it is normal. If there is a lot of tartar in your mouth, it will take more time to clean.

Flossing and brushing stop tartar and plaque from building up. If you have tartar, you can only remove it by visiting a dentist. So to avoid the process of tartar removal, floss and brush more often.

Expert flossing

Expert flossing is necessary when it comes to dental care for elderly in nursing homes since most seniors don’t floss correctly. Your dental hygienist will get deep between the teeth and find any potential trouble spots where bleeding could have occurred. A professional floss removes leftover plaque.