Is Deep Cleaning Necessary: Dental Deep Cleaning Alternatives"
With proper oral hygiene and the right tools, you can achieve great benefits at home that can sometimes replace the need for a “deep cleaning” OR if and when you do have a deep cleaning, it can help your healing and help you see results that will not only amaze you but also your dental providers! You see, as a dental hygienist, this became my “superpower” - and once I mastered helping patients heal their mouths with a huge focus on homecare in a dental practice, I knew it was time for me to go for my dream of “coaching” the consumer population into better results at home by using the right products, tools, and techniques.
The photos shown here are taken at home by one of our oral health coaching members as she was working on healing her mouth after visiting a dental practice that told her yet again that she needed “deep cleanings” to get her mouth healthy. This member had become so frustrated with what felt like “the same type of dental visit year after year” that she was contemplating letting her teeth fall out because she didn’t see the point of deep cleanings over and over again.
During her “healing at home thru homecare” phase of her treatment, she took these pictures at home so that she could monitor her progress - it also became a great visual to show her new dental practice how committed she was to her outcome. As you can imagine when she went to a new dental practice for another opinion she experienced an appointment full of praise and recommendations for a “regular cleaning” because of the work she had done at home instead of waiting for a dental provider to do it for her.
The list below is of many of the things that have helped her. I’ve also included some new technology that is avail to you such as testing the bacteria in your mouth at home as well as dental tools and procedures that are available in dental practices that help ensure those “deep cleanings” give you the results you’d hope for! Enjoy and know there is so much you can do at home when it comes to the health of your mouth.
Dental Cross Training
Dental cross-training is the alternating of different brushes and tools throughout the week or even through the day. Use a mix of electric toothbrushes (we love the BURST), Sulcabrushes, interdental brushes (we love TePe), manual toothbrushes (TePe Supreme and Compact Tuft Brush), and Easypicks or flossing during the day. As you brush, focus on gum stimulation to promote gum health, and make sure you use the clean under the gumline. The blood vessels in your gums are tiny so they can deposit but not retract fluids. Stimulating the gums while brushing keeps a flow of oxygen-rich fresh blood passing through the gums to keep them healthy. Even massaging your gum tissues with water and your finger or tongue throughout the day can help break up the biofilm that starts to develop throughout the day.
Oral Irrigation
Oral irrigation is a great alternative to flossing when it comes to getting food and bacteria out from under the gums. Brushing and in-between the teeth cleaning are both great for your oral health, but these methods cannot eliminate all the plaque and biofilm (a layer of harmful bacteria) from around and under the gum line. Oral irrigation changes the fluids in your gums called gingival crevicular fluid so that the diseased and acidic bacteria are flushed out to make room for healthy bacteria. A tartar-dissolving powder called Periogen can be mixed with water to irrigate the gums or used on a toothbrush as a pre-brushing if you are trying to get rid of tartar build-up
Test Your Bacteria
At-home tests will tell you what bacteria are living in your mouth and give you keen insight to see if what your dentist (and yourself) are doing is actually working. You can also use disclosing agents in the form of a two-tone liquid. This will show old and new plaque on your teeth, so you know what to target the next time you brush your teeth.
Bristle Health has provided my readers with a code to redeem $15 off at check-out on their Oral Microbiome testing kits. Feel free to use the code “CARRIE” or via this link to get started today!
Arginine
Arginine is an amino acid that helps with blood flow and can be used to reduce tooth and gum sensitivity. Arginine can be taken as a supplement, or you can try to include more arginine-rich foods in your diet. Some of these foods include chicken, turkey, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, dairy, and soybeans.
In Practice Alternatives
There are many newer and more effective treatments your dentist and dental hygienist could be using. Guided biofilm therapy is a new technique that incorporates disclosing, stain removal, and removal of the biofilm. A warm, gentle flow of water, air, and Erythritol powder is directed into the pocket, quickly dispersing the sticky biofilm and accumulated plaque.
Perioscopy is also becoming popular. It’s a miniature dental endoscope with advanced video lighting and 48 times magnification that allows dental providers to see details of tooth anatomy and tartar build-up. The tiny camera allows the provider can see things that an X-ray wouldn’t pick up or they wouldn’t be able to see just by using touch to complete a deep cleaning.
Get Your Free pH Control Products Guide Here
Researching what products and tools to use for healing teeth and gums can be overwhelming, but sticking to the products in this guide can help you avoid jumping from rabbit hole to rabbit hole and help you start seeing the gains you need to get healing under control. Packed with multiple toothbrushes, toothpastes, mouth rinses, mouth mirrors, disclosing products, pH-controlling candy and gums, tartar-dissolving products, and more!
Our Commitment To You
Carrie Ibbetson is an oral health coach and dental hygienist with nearly 30 years of experience practicing dentistry. To learn more about effective cleaning methods and how to keep your teeth and gums healthy at home, download one of our free guides to help you start the process. Sometimes the hardest part is to take that first step, which we are happy to help you through. We have free downloads, and we also have a paid course and community to help you step by step. We’re here to help you in so many ways.
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