Have you ever had a dental cleaning? At Family Dentistry of Frisco, all patients receive a pain-free, gentle, refreshing dental cleaning. All new patients, at their initial dental cleaning appointment, are introduced to the staff and the office so they can get some background with who their hygienist is. The hygienist would then start with asking general questions about your previous medical history, medicals, drug allergies, and dental concerns. Next, your X-rays would be taken with a Nomad X-ray machine. The Nomad X-ray is pain-free and quick. There is very little radiation used with the Nomad X-ray machine. In fact, there is more radiation when flying on an airline or using your mobile phone than taking an X-ray at Family Dentistry of Frisco. Once X-rays are taken, the hygienist takes measurements on tooth pockets to see if your gums are healthy. Thereafter, the hygienist scales all the plaque out. This allows your teeth and gum to be healthy. Finally, your teeth are polished by a refreshing mint. This cleans all the staining off and refreshes your mouth into feeling and looking great! Floss is used to clean the in-between and hard to reach places. Finally, fluoride is used to protect and strengthen teeth to prevent decay and cavities. Fluoride is offered in many flavors, including mint, bubble gum, grape, and strawberry shortcake. At Family Dentistry of Frisco, Dr. Paresh B. Patel would then come in for an examination of the patient’s teeth.
As the office manager, I have seen many patients benefit from their cleanings for varied reasons. The most common sentiment I hear is that the cleaning was so gentle that it felt like a mouth massage. It allowed all the debris in the mouth to be removed and left the mouth and teeth feeling clean and healthy. A patient in her 60’s has been coming to our office for the last 8 years. Every time she comes to our office, she always states that she is excited to get her teeth cleaned. She feels like it is a true pampering of her mouth and teeth. I completely agree with her. I receive a cleaning every 3 months, and it feels like I am indeed doing something for myself. I am improving my oral health by not allowing debris to stay in my mouth. I use an advanced mechanical toothbrush; however, a professional dental cleaning is still needed to get everything that is left on my teeth, gums and in my mouth.
Another important reason to have dental cleanings is that it prevents dental decay. It prevents decay that is not into the dentine of a tooth from getting worse and forming an actual cavity onto a tooth. It also allows surface plaque on gums and hard to reach places to be removed. This is especially important for patients that do not floss. According to U.S. News and World Report, daily flossers are as low as 10 percent of the population. This is very saddening as when I floss my teeth at night and I realize how much actually comes out between and the corners of my teeth. I feel so much cleaner and healthier after flossing my teeth! The great example I would use to illustrate the power of a cleaning would be a patient in her mid-40’s that has come to Family Dentistry of Frisco for the last 9 years. She is an executive that is over 1000 people in her Fortune 100 company. She has had major reconstructive work due to her bruxism (i.e., dental clenching and grinding) her teeth from the daily stresses of her life. Because she was busy doing her reconstructive dental work, she lost track of her dental cleanings for the whole year! She ended up paying the price by having her simple cavities turn into root canals and her planned root canals getting worse into implants. Since then, she has never missed her cleanings in the last few years. As a result, she now does not get cavities or decay. She has personally asked me to ensure that she never misses her 6-month cleanings. Every time she walks into the dental office for her and her children’s dental cleanings, I feel a strong pride to have seen her evolve into a more aware and responsible dental patient. She used her knowledge of preventative dentistry to help fight off and protect her and her family’s teeth from being unhealthy.
Furthermore, a dental cleaning at Family Dentistry of Frisco is critical to help examine any simple cavities or dental decay that can be halted at an early stage before it advances into something worse. This was especially true for an accountant that was terrified of a dental cleaning. She came in initially because of a broken tooth. Because it had been over ten years since her last cleaning, she asked to get a cleaning at the same time. Upon examining her teeth during the cleaning, Dr. Paresh B. Patel found cavities. These cavities were on the verge of becoming dental crowns, which could have cost the patient 5 times more than a cavity! More importantly, it helped the patient to avoid unnecessary pain and recovery that is associated with more advanced treatments. This halting of dental decay before it gets worse is critical in preserving dental health for not only a beautiful smile but a smile that gives patients a healthy and vibrant long life. Often, I hear patients state that they will get their dental treatment done later. Almost as if life stands still, almost frozen. However, as life evolves, so do teeth. Much like the pothole in the middle of the road. It first started as a crack and got bigger and bigger until it became a pothole. Imagine that on your tooth and cavities getting bigger and bigger until you lose your tooth. Altogether, you want to avoid a reactive way of taking care of your teeth and become more preventative.
Additionally, you want to get a cleaning done for planning purposes. There was a patient in their mid-50’s who worked at the corporate school district headquarters. He had hated his smile for a very long time. He also wanted some relief from his daily discomfort from his teeth. When he came in for his cleaning it allowed him to plan his restoration in phases. He ended doing some work a few years ago and did different parts of his mouth so he could be out of pain. He had lived with it so long that now he often tells me that he has not chewed his food and savored his food as much as he does now. A dental cleaning has helped him to plan and phased his dental work out in a way that is financially manageable. He now is able to enjoy a more fulfilled life that involves trying foods that he would have never eaten before. This has allowed him to enjoy a different, undiscovered part of life that he had never known before.
Finally, a powerful reason, much like the aforementioned ones, is to help preserve the dental work and smile that a patient has. The patient that works for the school district, the CPA, and the executive all come in to ensure that their dental work stays pristine and strong. This is akin to buying a car but not getting oil changes. If there are no oil changes, then parts of the engine will slowly deteriorate. Much like the car that is not well taken care of, a healthy smile needs to receive dental cleanings every 6 months. Dr. Patel and our hygienists always ensure that patients understand the meaning of dental cleanings.
Dental cleanings are important to all adults and children. Some adults and children with a family history of periodontal disease have to be more vigilant in coming in for their dental cleanings. The staff at Family Dentistry of Frisco also recommends pregnant women to come in for their dental cleanings. Pregnant women are at a higher risk for decay, oral growths called pregnancy tumors and gum disease (i.e., periodontal disease). These conditions are treatable with 3 monthly cleanings and examinations. It also helps to treat halitosis (i.e., bad breath).
Next time you think about skipping your dental cleaning or just having fear of getting a dental cleaning, think of the injustice you are doing to your health. You should do it for yourself and live a happy life with a clean, refreshing smile!
Dr. Paresh B. Patel and the staff at Family Dentistry of Frisco have been practicing comprehensive dentistry for over 25 years. We take care of the whole family and older adults. We have been voted by our patients to be “Best Cosmetic Dentist” and “Best Family Dentist” in Frisco and Plano in Living Magazine. Dr. Patel was also honored by his peer dentist voting him as “Best Dentist in DFW” in D Magazine. We take care of DFW and the nearby communities of Frisco, McKinney, Little Elm, The Colony, Aubrey, Prosper, Savannah, and Plano. We love serving our patients and helping make their smiles healthier!
