Preventive Dentistry & Teeth Cleaning
歯科ハミール高田88 Director
Masashi Motegi
Hello, I’m Masashi Motegi, the director.
Dentistry is shifting from treating problems to preventing them. Rather than treating a cavity or periodontal disease once it appears, stopping it before it starts is, in the end, the most direct way to keep pain, cost and the number of visits to a minimum.
My treatment centers on “preserving nerves and teeth wherever possible,” and I see the ideal form of that as helping you keep a mouth that doesn’t need drilling in the first place. We offer cleaning and self-care advice matched to each patient’s own level of risk.
Here in Takadanobaba, our home area, we aim to be a dental home everyone feels comfortable coming back to. Come see us for regular maintenance.
Protecting a Lifetime of Health with Preventive Dentistry
Preventive dentistry is dental care aimed at stopping cavities and periodontal disease before they happen, rather than treating them afterwards. Instead of waiting until something hurts to see a dentist, having regular checkups lets you protect your own teeth for life.
The biggest benefit of preventive dentistry is that it reduces the burden of treatment. Catching a cavity or periodontal disease at an early stage means less pain, fewer visits and lower costs. Regular cleaning also keeps your mouth clean, which lowers the risk of getting cavities and periodontal disease to begin with.
Recent research has also shown that oral health is closely linked to health throughout the body. Periodontal disease is known to raise the risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke and dementia, which makes oral care an important part of looking after your overall health. With preventive dentistry, you can protect the health of your whole body, not just your mouth.
Preventing Cavities and Periodontal Disease
The main cause of cavities and periodontal disease is plaque that builds up on the teeth. Plaque is a mass of bacteria that forms about 8 hours after eating. Left alone, it produces acid that leads to cavities and inflames the gums.
Daily brushing removes some plaque, but it tends to remain in hard-to-reach spots, such as between the teeth and behind the back teeth. Plaque also hardens into tartar in about 2 days. Once it becomes tartar, brushing can no longer remove it, and it needs professional cleaning at a dental clinic.
A regular checkup can catch an early cavity or case of periodontal disease that’s hard to notice on your own. An early-stage cavity can sometimes be stopped without drilling, and periodontal disease, if caught early, can sometimes be brought back to a healthy state. Once symptoms appear, treatment becomes more complicated and the damage to your teeth greater.
We recommend a checkup every three months. Regular visits help us detect problems before they grow and maintain your oral health. Even if you’re busy with work or school, once every three months is manageable without much strain.
Features of Our Preventive Dentistry and Teeth Cleaning
Effective Cleaning with Airflow (EMS)
We use Airflow (EMS), which removes buildup left behind by conventional cleaning. Airflow uses the force of water and air to spray a fine powder onto the teeth, removing biofilm, stains and tartar with gentle cleaning from the tooth surface.
Compared with a conventional scaler, it causes less damage to the teeth and gums and can clean a wide area in a short time. It’s also effective at removing stains from coffee, tea and tobacco, helping restore the natural whiteness of your teeth. It causes little discomfort, so you can have a comfortable cleaning experience.
Thorough Buildup Removal with PMTC
PMTC (Professional Mechanical Tooth Cleaning) is a cleaning carried out by a dental hygienist using specialist instruments. It removes buildup from spots beyond the reach of ordinary brushing, such as between the teeth, along the gumline, and behind the back teeth.
Using dedicated paste and instruments to polish the tooth surface removes plaque and staining and smooths it out. A smoother surface resists buildup, which helps prevent cavities and periodontal disease.
Strengthening Tooth Structure with Fluoride
We apply fluoride after cleaning. Fluoride strengthens the enamel on the surface of your teeth and increases their resistance to decay. Fluoride works best on adult teeth that have just emerged, since their enamel isn’t yet mature and has a high capacity for fluoride uptake. We recommend regular fluoride application timed to when your child’s teeth are coming in.
Regular fluoride application helps remineralize early-stage cavities and prevents new ones from forming. It’s quick and painless, with nothing to worry about.
Removing the Cause of Bad Breath with a Tongue Cleaner
About 80% of bad breath is said to come from “tongue coating” on the surface of the tongue. Tongue coating is made up of bacteria and food debris that collect on the tongue. Removing it with light pressure using a tongue cleaner can improve bad breath and also reduce the number of bacteria in your mouth. The trick is to use it during your morning brushing, using light strokes from back to front.
Reducing Bacteria with a Mouthwash
Using a mouthwash reduces the overall number of bacteria in your mouth and also holds down how much they multiply afterwards. We carry Ci Medical’s “Oral Cool” at our clinic. Adding it to your daily routine can further improve the quality of your self-care.
Raising the Quality of Prevention with Brushing Guidance
The most important part of preventive dentistry is your own daily self-care. Our dental hygienists provide brushing guidance suited to the condition of each patient’s mouth. After brushing, rinsing with one plastic-bottle capful of water is said to be ideal.
We check where you tend to miss and show you how to focus your brushing on those areas. We give specific advice, from how to hold and move your toothbrush to how to use an interdental brush or dental floss. Learning the right brushing technique improves the quality of your care at home and strengthens its preventive effect.
What a Checkup Involves
Medical History & Counseling
Please tell us about anything that’s changed since your last checkup, or any symptoms on your mind. We’ll also ask about your daily care, such as your diet and brushing habits, so we can work out a prevention plan suited to you.
Examination & Diagnosis
We check closely for any sign of cavities or periodontal disease. We measure the depth of your gum pockets and check that any past fillings or crowns are still in good condition.
Explaining Your Treatment
Based on the examination results, we tell you the current condition of your mouth. If we find a cavity or periodontal disease, we recommend early treatment; if not, we give you advice on prevention. Please ask us anything you’re unsure about.
Removing Tartar and Cleaning
We remove tartar with specialist instruments and clean away plaque and stains with Airflow or PMTC. Airflow is gentle on the teeth and gums and can clean a wide area in a short time. You’ll feel your mouth become clean and refreshed.
Fluoride Application and Brushing Guidance
After cleaning, we apply fluoride to strengthen your resistance to cavities. Where we find spots you tend to miss, our dental hygienist takes the time to show you how to brush them. We also advise you on using an interdental brush or dental floss.
Teeth Cleaning Prices
Airflow (Stain Removal)
¥14,300 (tax included) per treatment
*Limited-time price: currently also available for ¥6,600 (tax included) (varies by time period)
Using an ultra-fine powder and jet spray, this removes discoloration such as tea stains and tobacco tar without damaging your teeth or gums. It can also clear away “biofilm,” the bacterial film that clings to the tooth surface much like the invisible scale that builds up on a sink or tap, making this a preventive cleaning method. Because the powder reaches into fine gaps rather like a pressure washer, it’s also a good choice if crowded teeth make a toothbrush hard to use.
Recommended For
- People who often drink coffee, tea or wine
- People who smoke
- People bothered by surface staining
- People who want an effective clean in a short time
PMTC (Professional Tooth Surface Cleaning)
¥13,200 (tax included) per treatment
This professional care uses dedicated equipment and paste to polish away plaque and staining from the tooth surface. Smoothing the tooth surface makes it harder for buildup to stick again, which helps prevent cavities and periodontal disease.
Recommended For
- People who want solid protection against cavities and periodontal disease
- People concerned about bad breath
- People who are prone to tartar buildup
- People who want regular maintenance
Self-Care You Can Do at Home
The Basics of Good Brushing
The foundation of prevention is brushing every day. Brush with care at least twice a day, for about 3 minutes each time. Brushing before bed is an important part of this routine. Saliva flow drops while you sleep, making it easier for bacteria to multiply, so it’s important to remove buildup before bed.
Try not to brush too hard. As a guide, apply light pressure with the bristles against your fingernail; the ideal pressure is enough to turn the nail white. Move the brush in small strokes and clean each tooth in turn. Pay particular attention to the gumline, the spaces between teeth, and the grooves of the back teeth, which are prone to buildup. Once the bristles of your toothbrush start to splay or lose their shape, their cleaning performance declines, so we recommend replacing it about once a month.
Making the Most of Interdental Brushes and Dental Floss
Looking at a tooth from above, it has four surfaces: front, back, and two sides. A toothbrush can only reach the front and back; the two sides, where the teeth touch each other, are out of reach of the bristles. In other words, without floss, roughly half of each tooth’s surface goes uncleaned. Using an interdental brush or dental floss alongside brushing raises how much buildup you remove from around 60% to more than 80%.
Dental floss cleans the gaps between teeth that a toothbrush can’t reach. Using it once a day, with bedtime as a good time to do so, is effective. If you’re not sure how to use it, just ask at your next checkup.
An interdental brush suits people who have gaps between their teeth, or who have a bridge. Choose a size that matches the width of the gap, and avoid forcing it in. Our dental hygienists can advise you on the right size for you.
Choosing Toothpaste to Suit Your Mouth
Using a fluoride toothpaste gives you everyday protection against cavities. Fluoride helps remineralize teeth and strengthens the enamel. Besides toothpaste for cavity prevention, we stock a range of toothpastes to suit the condition of your mouth, including ones for sensitive teeth and for periodontal disease. If you’re not sure which to choose, just ask us.
Rethinking Your Diet and Daily Habits
Frequent consumption of sweets keeps your mouth acidic for longer, raising your risk of cavities. Cut back on how often you snack, and try to brush your teeth or rinse your mouth soon after eating.
Chewing food well also encourages saliva flow. Saliva neutralizes the acid in your mouth and helps keep bacteria from multiplying. A balanced diet and regular daily habits both support your oral health.
Common Questions
How often should I come in for a checkup?
We generally recommend a checkup every three months. For patients with advancing periodontal disease, or a higher cavity risk, we may recommend shorter intervals between visits.
Does cleaning hurt?
Most patients experience little or no pain. Airflow is gentler on the teeth and gums than a conventional scaler, so you can have a comfortable cleaning experience. That said, if your gums are inflamed or you have a heavy buildup of tartar, you may feel some discomfort. Please let us know beforehand if you’re worried about pain.
Can children also have preventive dentistry?
Yes, they can. In fact, starting preventive care while your child is still young can lower their cavity risk later in life. We provide prevention matched to your child’s age, such as fluoride application and brushing guidance.
Is This Covered by Insurance?
Regular checkups, cleaning and tartar removal are covered by insurance. However, depending on the treatment, some care, such as cleaning for cosmetic purposes, may be self-pay.
Can I come in just for a cleaning?
Yes, you’re welcome to come in just for a cleaning. Regular cleaning is very important for maintaining your oral health. If staining or bad breath is on your mind, professional care can sometimes improve it. Come talk to us.
Looking for Preventive Dentistry in Takadanobaba
歯科ハミール高田88 focuses on preventive dentistry. We’ve introduced the latest equipment, including Airflow and PMTC, to provide effective cleaning. We’re a 1-minute walk from Takadanobaba Station and open on weekends too, making us easy to visit on your way home from work or school.
We propose a prevention plan suited to each patient. Why not start regular checkups to protect healthy teeth for life? First-time patients are welcome to get in touch.
