Oral Prophylaxis

Oral prophylaxis is a thorough examination of the oral health combined with a “scale and clean” and can be conducted by a dentist or a dental hygienist.

The examination consists of various components:

 — Update of medical history: one of the most important things is to update the history and to update it against the records. This will help the dentist determine if further action or examination is required.

 — Dental radiographs: recommended if necessary to understand the health of underlying tissues like roots and surrounding bone.

 — Periodontal probing: In a healthy gingiva there is a shallow gap of 1–1.5 mm between the teeth and the gum at the gum line. In case of infection with gingivitis or periodontitis, this gap forms in to a pocket measuring several millimeters in depth. One has to have this gap checked and take the necessary steps if required.

 — Oral cancer check: It is more common for an oral cancer check to be performed as a part of oral prophylaxis at every visit.

“Scale and clean” involves removing plaque and tartar from the teeth, then polishing the teeth. This is often finished or accompanied with fluoride or betadine mouthwash. Specialized scraping tools can be used to remove the hardened build up, Ultrasonic tools can also be used depending on the necessity.

Polishing the teeth is done to remove plaque, a sticky film like substance that acts as precursor to tartar. A common method of polishing the teeth is by using “Prophy jet”. This is an air-powder polishing unit which combines air, water and fine powder to polish teeth.

It is recommended to visit the dentist twice a year, regardless of whether one has any problem. This is casually referred as ‘check up and clean’, technically as oral prophylaxis. Along with brushing and flossing at home, it is one of the most important things one can do to keep the mouth healthy.

To view this blog on youtube, visit us at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ls3SVFMr45Y

About the author:

Name: Dr. Abhilash Dandy

Qualification: B.D.S

I graduated as a Dentist from Sibar Institute of Dental Sciences, Guntur. I have done my externship program at Rutgers school of dental medicine, New Jersey, USA. I have clinical experience of 3 years and currently working as Administrative head — Dental wing in MediCub India, Hyderabad.