Dental Cleanings

At Taylor General & Cosmetic Dentistry, we offer an ample array of dental services. The most basic of our services is our dental hygiene services. These services act as the base for the majority of our other dental services.

What Services Fall Under Dental Hygiene

Generally, there is no service called “dental hygiene”. It is an overall term to cover several basic dental services which you should be having regularly performed. These services are:

• Dental X-rays – With your teeth X-rayed, our dentist can see if there is an oral health issue that may be hidden from the visual inspection our dentist will perform.
• Dental cleaning – Removes plaque and tartar deposits from your teeth, leaving them less vulnerable to bacterial attacks.
• Fluoride treatment – Strengthens teeth and helps prevent tooth decay.
• Oral health screening – Overall oral screening checks for oral health issues such as gingivitis, periodontal, over-exposed roots, tooth decay, and more.

Who Benefits From Dental Hygiene Services

Everyone can benefit from regularly visiting our dental clinic for dental hygiene services. You should be going in for dental hygiene services at least every six months. The way you benefit may be slightly different depending on your personal circumstances.

• Children – By the time your child turns 1 years old or six months after their first tooth erupts, they should come in to visit our dentist. Not only will early exposure help your child keep from developing a fear of the dentist, but it will also ensure that their oral health is kept in peak condition as they age.
• Adults – Some adults tend to wait until there is a problem before see our dentist. However, regular dental hygiene work will help prevent problems or at least keep them from becoming more serious and expensive.
• Seniors – A strong link between dementia and poor oral health has been identified. So, to protect not only your oral health but also your cognitive health, you should remain regular in your dental hygiene visits.
• Dental implants – With proper care and regular dental hygiene work, you can protect your dental implants. You will need to keep our hygienists informed of your dental implants so they aren’t damaged during your cleaning.
• Dentures – Even if all your natural teeth are no longer present, it is still important to have regular dental hygiene work performed. Your gums will need to be monitored to ensure they are still healthy and if you have implanted dentures, it is important to have the area between the dentures and your gums cleaned.

Who Performs Your Dental Hygiene Work

Dr. Rath only chooses the best dental hygienists to work with our dental patients. The dental hygienist will usually take your X-rays, perform your dental cleaning, and create notes for Dr. Rath to reference. The dental hygienist may also perform fluoride treatments.

All of this is overseen by Dr. Rath, who will double-check the dental hygienist’s work to ensure high-quality. She will perform the oral health screening, review the X-rays, the hygienist’s notes, and check for signs of tooth decay, gum disease, and other oral health issues. Should problems arise, Dr. Rath will discuss your treatment options with you.

Preventing Oral Health Issues With Dental Hygiene Services

As mentioned earlier, there is a wide variety of oral health issues which can be averted if you are consistent in your dental hygiene, both at home and by regularly attending your dental cleaning appointments. A few of the common oral hygiene issues which are generally preventable are:

• Tooth decay
• Gingivitis
• Gum recession
• Periodontitis
• Tartar build-up
• Bad breath
• Jawbone density loss

Cosmetic Dentistry Starts With Dental Hygiene

Dr. Rath specializes in an expansive variety of cosmetic dental services. She understands the confidence and joy people can experience when they are able to achieve their perfect smile and is dedicated to providing top-quality cosmetic dental services.

But none of these services can move forward without first availing yourself of our dental hygiene services. There is no point in paying for beautiful porcelain veneers or other services if the teeth beneath aren’t as healthy as can be. And healthy teeth start with having dental hygiene work done.

So, if you want to receive the best dental hygiene services in Billings, Montana, then you will want to visit Dr. Rath and the rest of our staff. Contact us today to set up your appointment!