Dental Hygiene and Teeth Cleaning

Serving Cherry Creek and Denver, Colorado

Dental hygiene is the most important thing for keeping your teeth healthy and intact for a lifetime. There are two parts to dental hygiene, the part we practice in our Cherry Creek, Denver dental office, and the part you practice at home. At Ascent Dental we know how these two parts most effectively work together. Not only do we strive to do our part when you come to our office, but we work hard to ensure you have all the help and guidance you need to do your part at home.

Why Dental Hygiene

Dental hygiene is designed to protect your teeth from the buildup of dental bacteria and the potential damage they cause. A combination of home hygiene and regular deep teeth cleanings are required to ensure the health of your mouth.

Bacteria Basics

The human mouth is full of bacteria. These bacteria feed on your foods and attempt to create colonies to increase their numbers. As bacteria increase in numbers, they form films, small sheets of bacteria bound together for protection against saliva. When these bacteria feed, they release acids that attack your teeth and gums. The acid is a byproduct of feeding, but the ideal situation for bacteria is if the acid creates a hiding place from your deadly saliva. Bacterial films adhere to your teeth for additional protection, and this is the main thing that you want to remove when cleaning. Regular brushing (at least twice a day) and flossing (at least once a day) can dramatically reduce the amount of bacteria clinging to your teeth, but if bacteria escape your cleaning, they can upgrade their biofilm into a hardened deposit known as tartar. This tartar gives bacteria excellent protection from saliva, allowing them to increase in numbers even further. During your dental cleaning appointment, we will clean your teeth to remove these tartar deposits and other bacteria build ups. Eventually, bacteria that remain on your teeth will progress into the interior of your tooth or the area below your gum line, where they require either endodontic (root canal) treatment or periodontal care to stop them. These treatments, while very successful and necessary, are generally agreed to be less pleasant than regular dental visits. If you are looking for a quality deep teeth cleaning, please contact Ascent Dental today to schedule a dental hygiene appointment.