Sitka Dental has several hygienists on staff to provide dental hygiene services. Having the teeth cleaned several times per year is the most important dental service you can receive.

The dental hygienist will remove infected material from the surface of the tooth, with the goal of promoting healthy gums and avoiding gum disease. If we adults ever lose our teeth, it is almost always due to gum disease, not cavities. Regular visits to the hygienist will give you the best chance to save your teeth.

Your regularly scheduled check-up is often referred to as a "cleaning", but there is much more to it than that! The technical term is oral prophylaxis, which means prevention of oral disease.

One way to prevent oral disease is to remove harmful plaque and tartar (calculus) both above and below the gum line. You may also be given special instructions on brushing or flossing to keep clean the areas where we found significant buildup. That is the familiar "cleaning" part of your checkup.

Another way to prevent oral disease is by early detection and treatment. During your checkup you will be screened for many potential threats to your oral health, including:

• Cavities
• Gum Disease
• Oral cancer

In addition, some systemic diseases, such as diabetes, often present themselves first inside the mouth, so early detection extends beyond just oral disease.