Happy teeth don't just happen: they come from good daily habits at home plus regular professional cleanings, working together. At Southern York Smile Care in Shrewsbury, PA, each visit brings a thorough cleaning and a friendly review of your brushing, so your smile stays healthy between appointments.
Your partners in oral health
Keeping your teeth clean is the heart of a beautiful smile and good dental health. You do most of the work at home, every day. The dental team's job is to clean what you cannot reach, spot problems early and help you fine-tune your routine.
Think of it as a partnership. You bring the daily habits. The team brings the tools, training and a fresh set of eyes. Neither half works as well without the other.
What happens at a cleaning
At each checkup, your teeth are cleaned and polished. Cleanings at Southern York Smile Care are a full 60 minutes, so there is time to do the job well and to talk. A cleaning usually includes:
- Scaling to remove tartar above and just below the gumline
- Polishing to lift surface stains and smooth the tooth surface
- Flossing between every tooth
- A look at your gums for redness, bleeding or pockets that can signal gum disease
- Tips for home care based on what was found
Then Dr. Steven Haywood, DDS, examines your teeth, gums and soft tissues, including an oral cancer screening. Learn more on our dental cleanings page.
Questions worth asking
Your visit is a great time to get advice made for your mouth. Good questions include:
- Am I missing any spots when I brush?
- Is my flossing doing the job, or should I try a different tool?
- Are my gums healthy, and are any areas getting worse?
- Do I show signs of grinding, dry mouth or acid wear?
- How often should I come in for cleanings?
No question is too small. The team would much rather answer it now than fix a bigger problem later.
Why only a professional can remove tartar
Plaque is a soft, sticky film of bacteria that forms on teeth every day. Brushing and flossing remove most of it. But plaque that is missed hardens into tartar, also called calculus, often within a few days.
Tartar is a hard, mineral deposit that clings to teeth. It is rough, so it collects even more plaque, and it can irritate your gums. Once it forms, a toothbrush and floss cannot remove it. A professional cleaning is the only way.
Tartar that builds up below the gumline is a common cause of gum disease. Early gum disease, called gingivitis, makes gums red, puffy and prone to bleeding. Caught early, it can usually be reversed. Left alone, it can lead to bone loss and loose teeth. See our gum disease treatments page for more.
Don't forget the basics at home
Professional cleanings matter, but daily care does the heavy lifting. Brushing and flossing keep plaque from building up and turning into tartar, which means cleaner, healthier teeth.
Brushing
- Brush twice a day for two full minutes.
- Use a soft-bristled brush. Hard bristles can wear enamel and gums.
- Hold the brush at an angle toward the gumline and use gentle, small circles.
- Do not forget the inner surfaces, the back teeth and your tongue.
- Replace your brush about every three months, or sooner if the bristles fray.
Our article How Often Should I Replace My Toothbrush? explains why a fresh brush matters.
Flossing
- Floss once a day to clean between teeth, where a brush cannot reach.
- Curve the floss into a C shape around each tooth and slide it gently below the gumline.
- If regular floss is hard to use, try floss picks, small brushes made for between teeth or a water flosser.
Read more in our article on water flossing.
Other daily habits
- Drink water through the day, especially after meals and sweet or acidic drinks.
- Limit sugary snacks between meals.
- Chew sugar-free gum after eating if you cannot brush.
- Avoid tobacco in all forms.
Food and drink choices
What you eat and drink matters too. Crunchy fruits and vegetables, cheese, plain yogurt, nuts and water are all kind to teeth. Sticky sweets, sipped sodas and sports drinks, and all-day snacking keep teeth under acid attack. You do not have to give up treats. Just enjoy them with meals, and rinse with water afterward.
How often should you visit?
The American Dental Association recommends regular dental visits, and for most people that means a checkup and cleaning about every six months. Some people need to come more often, such as those with a history of gum disease, diabetes, dry mouth or a lot of past dental work.
Regular visits do more than clean your teeth. They catch small problems early. A tiny cavity found at a checkup can be fixed with a simple tooth-colored, BPA-free white filling. The same cavity found a year later may need a crown. Our office is mercury-free, so we do not place silver fillings.
Children benefit from regular visits too. Early checkups help kids get comfortable in the dental chair, and good habits learned young tend to last a lifetime. Our children's dentistry page explains how the whole family can be seen in one place.
Our article Check Out the Checkup! walks through each step of a routine visit.
Extra protection when you need it
Some people need a little more help keeping teeth strong. Your dentist may suggest:
- Remineralization varnish to help strengthen enamel, a good choice for holistic patients
- Fluoride for patients who want it
- A night guard if you grind or clench
- More frequent cleanings if your gums need closer care
Tools like the intraoral camera and DIAGNOdent laser cavity detector help find trouble spots early, and digital X-rays use up to 90% less radiation than older film. See our preventive dentistry page for more.
Paying for regular care
Southern York Smile Care is out of network with every insurer. You pay at the visit, and the office files the claim with your insurer so you can be reimbursed. Kelley Fisher, our Patient Care and Treatment Coordinator, is happy to help with insurance questions. Payment plans through CareCredit and Cherry are also available. See our financing page.
Book your cleaning in Shrewsbury
Happy teeth take a little effort, and you do not have to do it alone. To keep your smile healthy, come in for a cleaning and checkup twice a year. Call Southern York Smile Care at (717) 235-3871 or request an appointment. We are at 4 S. Main St in Shrewsbury, PA, and welcome patients from York, southern York County and northern Baltimore County, MD.
DDS cum laude 1987, US Air Force residency, NYU cosmetic training and Fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, with 35+ years in practice.
Meet Dr. Haywood →
Bad Breath Treatment at Southern York Smile Care
7 Steps for a Healthy Smile
Dental Check Up: How Often?