PREVENTATIVE SERVICES

Brushing and flossing regularly at home are both great oral care habits, but are only part of the process of preventing cavities and gum disease. The other essential part of a successful oral care practice is having your teeth professionally cleaned by a hygienist.

 

To understand why brushing and flossing alone are not enough to maintain healthy teeth, you have to understand what plaque is. Plaque is continually developing on the teeth. Brushing and flossing actually disrupts the build up of plaque.  If plaque accumulates it can harden into tartar and once that happens you can no longer remove it by brushing and flossing.

 

The condition of your teeth can make it harder to disrupt the plaque. For example crooked or crowded teeth can be much harder to clean. Deep pockets in your gums or between your teeth can make it hard or even impossible to reach by brushing and flossing. Normal pockets are 2-3 millimeters deep, whereas 4-5 millimeter pockets are considered deep and unreachable by home oral care measures.