2272 Barataria Blvd. Marrero, LA 70072

Dental Cleanings Marrero, LA

Regular visits to the dentist are critical to achieving optimal oral health. Our dentists will recommend a professional oral health care schedule based on your individual needs. Most patients simply need to visit every 6 months, though, some patients benefit from more frequent visits. Our dental care team provides comprehensive dental cleanings and oral exams to patients of all ages in the New Orleans, LA area as part of our general dentistry services.

Our patients often comment on how comprehensive our oral examinations are and how thorough our teeth cleanings are. Our oral exam includes bi-yearly bite-wing x-rays and yearly periodontal screening to look for gum disease, as well as a physical inspection of the teeth, gums, jaw joints, and muscles. Our dental hygienists perform teeth cleanings which involve gently scraping the teeth and gums to remove plaque and tartar build-up and flossing.

Portrait of young mother with toddler son dental cleanings for all ages marrero la

Children’s Dental Health

Dental cleanings are especially important for children and adolescents. An estimated 20% of children ages 2 to 18 have untreated dental cavities, which can be prevented through routine visits to the dentist and regular professional teeth cleanings.

Children should begin visiting the dentist once every six months at the time their first tooth emerges, or by the age of 1. Visiting the dentist from an early age helps set the groundwork for a healthy smile and a positive patient-dentist relationship with your child. Routine dental health exams help keep your child’s teeth and gums healthy and enable our dentists to spot any developmental issues early on allowing for more conservative treatment options. Learn more about pediatric dentistry.

Gum Disease

Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults and can even develop in children. Regular visits to the dentist and professional teeth cleaning can prevent gum disease by treating early signs and symptoms. For patients who show early signs of gum disease, we may perform non-surgical methods, such as scaling and root planing, to remove plaque and tartar from deep pockets in the gums. Routine visits allow us to identify lifestyle habits or risk factors and offer personal care and advice for minimizing gum disease.

In some cases, gum disease is a chronic dental issue and may require more visits for thorough cleanings and exams. The goal is always to find the best way to keep the gums healthy, avoid larger dental problems and support the natural teeth to avoid loss.

Your Dental Cleaning: What to Expect

During a dental cleaning, the hygienist aims to remove plaque and tartar from your teeth. Plaque is a sticky film that forms when bacteria and food particles build up on the teeth over time. Tartar is a harder substance that occurs when the plaque calcifies. Particularly if you have a lot of tartar buildup, it’s hard to clean with just a toothbrush and dental floss. Our hygienists use specialized metal dental tools that are built to remove these substances from your teeth.

During your dental cleaning, we’ll use these tools to scrape away the plaque and tartar on your teeth. They’re adept at reaching difficult areas that you may not be able to reach when you’re taking care of your teeth at home. We slowly remove these materials from the surface of your teeth, and rinse them to get rid of any remaining debris.

After this portion, we thoroughly floss your teeth to ensure that every nook and cranny is taken care of. We polish them with a special brush and toothpaste as well. The toothpaste is slightly abrasive, so it removes staining, surface buildup, and any minor plaque and tartar that wasn’t a target of the bigger tools. This is why you always have that fresh and clean feeling after you leave the dentist office.

Dental Cleaning FAQs

What shouldn’t I do before getting my teeth cleaned?

If you can, avoid eating for a couple of hours before your appointment. If you can’t avoid eating, try to rinse your mouth out thoroughly with water. Having food fragments and other debris in your mouth irritates your gums and causes discomfort when you’re getting your cleaning. It also gives your hygienist a bit more work to do during the cleaning.

How long after my dental cleaning do I have to wait to eat?

The only time you have to wait to eat is if you’ve received fluoride treatment during your appointment. Fluoride treatment needs a bit of time to seal around your teeth. If you want to have the best performance from this treatment, you should wait around 30 minutes after your appointment to eat.

Is dental cleaning painful?

No, a dental cleaning shouldn’t be painful. If you’re experiencing pain, it’s a sign that there may be a bigger issue. The dentist will take a thorough look at the area that’s in pain when they perform their comprehensive dental exam.

Is bleeding after a dental cleaning normal?

Some slight bleeding and discomfort for a day or two following the appointment are common. If bleeding lasts for longer than this, contact our office. Further examination may be needed to determine if you have problems with gum disease or other issues.

Do teeth cleanings eliminate stains on your teeth?

Regular dental cleaning can’t take care of all stains on your teeth. It can only take care of surface staining. Regular cleanings help make your teeth less likely to stain and can help with stains caused by things like tea, tobacco, and coffee. However, cleaning doesn’t assist with discolored teeth that develop because of the enamel layer wearing away over time, exposing the off-white dentin layer.

Are regular dental cleanings really worth it?

Yes. Regular dental cleanings are an essential part of keeping your smile healthy. Without them, plaque and tartar buildup can cause you to be more likely to develop tooth decay and gum disease. Even if you’re brushing your teeth regularly at home, there are areas that are difficult to clean without specialized dental tools. Regular dental visits also help us establish if there are bigger problems developing in your mouth.

Request an Appointment

If you’re looking for a comprehensive dentist in the New Orleans area, contact Barataria Dental to request an appointment with one of our highly trained dentists.