What is prophylaxis or oral cleaning?

Proper dental hygiene is essential for good dental health throughout our lives, especially in adulthood and as we grow older.

However, it is not enough to follow correct hygiene habits with a certain frequency and regularity. When brushing our teeth we do not reach all parts of the mouth equally, and plaque or biofilm tends to accumulate between the gum and the tooth, especially in the posterior areas of the oral cavity. If we also have an added problem, such as malposition of the teeth, it will be even more difficult to perform a thorough cleaning.

If it is not removed regularly, it hardens and turns into tartar, which is even more difficult to remove with a simple brushing. And tartar buildup causes other oral problems, such as gingivitis, periodontitis or halitosis.

What does prophylaxis consist of?

Prophylaxis means “disease prevention”, so this cleaning would be aimed at avoiding gum problems, and by concept it will be a simple and superficial cleaning. If there is gum disease such as gingivitis or periodontitis, the treatment will have to be more advanced, with deeper and sequential cleaning by scaling and root planing.

Dental prophylaxis consists of a professional oral cleaning, that is, a cleaning with techniques and tools that allow us to eliminate tartar, such as scaling, and bacterial plaque in all areas of the mouth.

In addition, a prophylaxis also helps us to remove stains from the teeth, to reduce gum inflammation and to remineralize the tooth enamel through the application of fluoride gel at a high concentration.

As a general rule, and depending on the oral health status of each patient, a prophylaxis includes the following steps:

1. We evaluate the patient’s oral health status and diagnose the individual gum situation of each tooth.
2. We remove tartar adhered below the gum line, on the teeth and in the interdental spaces.
3. We polish the surface of the teeth to remove stains and dental plaque.

It is a simple, inexpensive and very effective treatment for the prevention of oral diseases. It usually takes no more than 20-30 minutes. If necessary, we apply techniques and products to reduce tooth sensitivity as much as possible.

When and how often is prophylaxis recommended?

Even if a person enjoys good oral health, it is recommended in any case to have a prophylaxis every six months, or at least once a year.

In the case of people with periodontal disease, such as gingivitis or periodontitis, it will most likely need to be performed more frequently. A deeper cleaning of the gums, known as scaling and root planing, may even be recommended. Root scaling is a technique applied in cases of advanced gingivitis or periodontitis, to remove periodontal pockets and tartar accumulated between the gum and the tooth.

In the case of malposition of the teeth or other alterations, it is also recommended to perform a prophylaxis with a certain frequency, since it is more difficult to reach all the nooks and crannies with a normal brushing.

We recommend that you visit your dentist at least once every six months, and that he/she evaluates and recommends the most appropriate frequency of dental prophylaxis for your specific case. Prevention is always better!