Recently, a growing number of people (particularly those living near the US-Mexico border) have started to take advantage of the close proximity of less expensive clinics over the border–heading to places like Los Algodones and Mexicali for essential, everyday dental care.
To fight off the onset of gum disease with regular, professional teeth cleaning, check out Mexico’s dental clinics and find a more cost-effective way to maintain your dental and oral health.
What Is Professional Teeth Cleaning and Why Is it Important?
You know that almost squeaky-clean feeling your teeth have after they’ve been cleaned at the dentist? That’s the result of professional cleaning.
Unfortunately, no matter how fastidious we are in our teeth cleaning habits at home, bacteria are constantly present in our mouths; when combined with other substances we eat and drink, plaque forms and sticks to our teeth.
Regular brushing and flossing usually keep this under control, but if we haven’t got rid of all the plaque then it hardens to tartar; this forms as hard, creamy-yellow deposits behind the front teeth, in between teeth and around the gum line.
Once these hard tartar deposits have formed, they are difficult to remove at home, as brushing or flossing won’t dissolve them. Tartar also offers a hospitable environment for bacteria, and build-ups cause inflammation of the gums (gum disease), which, if left untreated, could be the beginning of something much more serious: periodontal disease.
This forces the gums to recede, creating deep pockets where bacteria can evade the bristles of your toothbrush. As the pockets become deeper and the surface of the tooth below the gum line is exposed to bacteria, the foundations that hold the tooth in place become weak, leading to loss of gum tissue, bone and, eventually, the tooth.
The simple answer to whether you need professional teeth cleaning is probably ‘yes.’ That said, some people need to have three monthly hygiene appointments at the dentist while others can get away with visiting just once a year. It all depends upon your dental health, as some people are naturally more susceptible to gum disease than others, which may be down to genetics, as much as to lifestyle choices.
What Is Involved in the Procedure for Professional Teeth Cleaning?
Professional cleaning is carried out by a dentist or a dental hygienist. It involves scaling the teeth and gum line to remove tartar and plaque, as well as polishing to smooth the tooth’s surface, which makes it harder for bacterial deposits to stick.
Tough calculus can be removed with an electronic scaler. This has a fine tip that vibrates at high speeds and simultaneously emits a jet of water, breaking up the tartar and sluicing it away. As teeth are not uniform in size or shape, a hand tool will also be used to get into those nooks and crannies where the electronic scaler won’t reach. Once all of the tartar has been removed, a special toothpaste is applied to the teeth together with a rotating brush to polish them.
If you go for regular professional teeth cleaning (and you maintain a good dental hygiene routine at home), then each session should only take around 15 minutes as there shouldn’t be much tartar to remove. However, if you haven’t been for some time then it will obviously take longer.
Recommended Clinics in Mexico’s Border Towns for Teeth Cleaning
One of the most popular locations for dental care in Mexico is Los Algodones.
Thousands of people cross over the border daily into Algodones from the US-side to take advantage of the low prices and considerable expertise at clinics such as:
Other popular locations for teeth cleaning in Mexico’s Border towns include:
- Clinica de Ortodoncia Estetica Dental in Mexicali; and
- Dr. Dalia Dental Care in Tijuana
The Cost of Teeth Cleaning in Mexico
The cost of teeth cleaning in Mexico is on average only a third of the price it is at home, which means that if you do live near the border and need regular treatments, you can easily save yourself a few hundred bucks a year.
|
USD |
CAD |
GBP |
EUR |
AUD |
|
|
Teeth Cleaning - Mexico |
USD $40 |
CAD $54 |
GBP 31 |
AUD $37 |
AUD $53 |
|
Teeth Cleaning -Other countries |
USD $126 |
CAD $170 |
GBP 98 |
AUD $117 |
AUD $170 |
[Please note: these are approximate figures at the time of writing; feel free to check our listing for up-to-date prices.]
The Bottom Line
Keeping on top of your dental health is more imperative than ever, particularly if you are on a limited budget, as ignoring it could well be storing up bigger, more expensive problems further down the line.
Look after the basics and get teeth cleaning in Mexico to prevent gum disease from progressing, and to keep your mouth feeling fresh.
To book, use our online appointment scheduler or get in touch with our Customer Care Team via phone, email or online chat.
Sources:
The importance of a healthy smile. Oral Health Foundation. 15 December 2017. https://www.dentalhealth.org/healthysmile
Deep Dental Cleaning. Linda Carroll. Today. Website accessed: 22 November 2020. https://www.today.com/series/one-small-thing/do-you-need-deep-dental-cleaning-dentists-discuss-t127590
Gum Disease Treatment. American Dental Association. Website accessed: 22 November 2020. https://www.ada.org/en/press-room/news-releases/2015-archive/july/the-american-dental-association-releases-guideline-on-gum-disease-treatment
Guidelines: Non-Surgical Periodontal Treatments. Dr Christopher J Smiley, et al. Journal of the American Dental Association. Website accessed: 22 November 2020. https://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177(15)00334-7/fulltext