Dental Dialogues – Spring Cleaning Rituals Should Include Your Teeth Too!

Eglinton Square Dental has enjoyed a long and proud tradition of serving multi-generational families for over 30 years. Despite the challenges of this past year, with Covid-19 and the pandemic requiring us to close for several months and to re-open while enacting even stricter safety protocols, we plan to continue serving families for many more years to come. That’s why today we’re “stopping by” with this friendly reminder that the Eglinton Square Dental team is still here, still working hard and ready and waiting to serve you and your family. When you start to think about spring-cleaning rituals, as many of us do when the clocks spring forward and the sun shines longer, make sure you think about your teeth too! Is it time for your spring-cleaning?

We know that as a result of the pandemic, some families temporarily suspended their visits to the Dentist. It’s understandable. Back in those early days, there were many unknowns about the virus and in fact, as we’re sure you recall, the provincial government shut all Dentists down temporarily. Now that we know more about Covid-19 and how to keep our loved ones safe, it’s time to reconsider booking that previously cancelled dental appointment. Our already strict health and safety measures have been enhanced and we’ve been providing safe, fast, friendly and efficient oral health care for many months now. We’ve got “spring-cleaning” down to a science here at Eglinton Square Dental and we’re not just talking about shaking out the rugs or cleaning windows. We are happy to report that we are meeting (and in fact, more often exceeding) all the protocols put in place to ensure your safe visit to our dental offices. If you’re making a list of things that need cleaning this spring, go ahead and put your teeth on the list. Here is why a cleaning is good for everyone in your family this time of year:

Oral Cleaning – Caring for your Teeth, Mouth and Gums

• Cleanings aren’t just about getting your teeth cleaned although of course, that’s a pretty good “side-effect!” A cleaning is usually much more thorough than anything you might do at home, no matter how good your oral health care routine is. It will include scaling, which will remove plaque and tarter build up. It will also involve a very methodical cleaning with special paste and flossing – often accompanied by a lesson on how to floss if it’s not something you do regularly! A fluoride treatment for the younger ones is also typically an important component of any good tooth cleaning protocol.
• Cleanings are an excellent opportunity for your oral health care provider to identify any early onset tooth decay, any potential issues with your tongue, mouth or gums and/or to examine you for signs of something significantly more serious going on with your overall health. For example, teeth and gums can often be an early indicator of gastrointestinal disorders and/or some types of cancers.
• Cleanings will help to identify sensitive teeth and strategies for dealing with them can be discussed between you and your Dentist or Hygienist.
• Cleanings are an excellent tool for introducing young children to the Dentist. Because they are minimally invasive, a cleaning is the perfect opportunity to bring your little one to the dental office, perhaps have them watch you have your teeth cleaned and then have them join you on your lap while the Dentist or Hygienist counts your child’s teeth and has a little look around and conducts a short but thorough cleaning. As a multi-generational practice, we like to think this early exposure to great dental care is part of our signature service to families and is one of the reasons families keep returning to Eglinton Square Dental.
• Cleaning frequency is based on what a patient needs. Some will require a more frequent cleaning schedule than others. At the very least however – whether “spring-cleaning” is your excuse, teeth should be cleaned annually. For individuals who are more prone to decay, cavities and plaque build-up, a more frequent schedule is a necessity.
• Finally, teeth cleanings are also an opportunity for us to take X-rays especially if there are any areas of concern that have been identified, in order to plan appropriately for your dental care throughout the year. We are happy to work together with our patients not only when it comes to their teeth but also in relation to working with you and/or your insurance providers to plan for your oral health care and any of the costs associated with it.

There you have it. Spring officially arrives on March 20th, 2021 and we’ve already had our clocks “spring” forward. If that also means it’s time for a spring-cleaning dental visit for your family, contact the team here at Eglinton Square Dental so we can schedule you in for a visit. If you haven’t visited for a while, all the more reason to stop by! We look forward to caring for all your family’s oral health care needs now and in the years to come. We’re Eglinton Square Dental offering the perfect combination of innovation and experience.