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A professional dental cleaning is an important part of your preventive dental care routine. It is essential for maintaining clean, healthy teeth and gums and is a simple way to help reduce your risk of dental problems.
In this guide, we look at what dental cleaning is, why it is necessary, and what to expect during this procedure. We also discuss how frequently you need your teeth professionally cleaned.
A dental cleaning is completed by one of our highly experienced and gentle dental hygienists. Treatment is non-invasive, so you should not require any local anesthetic.
It is a detail-oriented process that thoroughly removes all plaque and calculus buildup from your teeth. Calculus is hardened plaque and is also called tartar.
Plaque is a sticky biofilm continually building up over your teeth and gums. Most of it is removed when you brush and floss your teeth. Any that remains will soon harden into tartar within just a couple of days.
Both plaque and tartar contain bacteria that produce toxins and infect and inflame your gums. These bacteria increase the risk of gum disease.
The bacteria also feast off leftover food particles that may be trapped on and in between your teeth. They produce acids as a byproduct that attack your tooth enamel, weakening it and eventually causing cavities.
Even if you brush your teeth twice a day and floss every day, some plaque will inevitably remain on your teeth. Once it hardens into tartar, you can no longer remove it. All the time plaque and tartar stay on your teeth, the bacteria within them continue to produce harmful substances.
Regular dental cleanings to remove plaque and tartar help you maintain good dental health more easily. These treatments reduce your risk of tooth decay and gum disease.
Several different types of dental cleanings are available, depending on your oral health needs. All achieve the same aim: removing harmful bacteria and reducing your risk of dental problems.
When you visit Broadway Mall Dental, we can assess your oral health and determine which dental cleaning will suit you best. Choices include:
It’s most likely that you will only need an ordinary dental cleaning or prophylaxis. The treatment is explained in more detail below.
After gently assessing your teeth and gums, our hygienist uses an ultrasonic scaler. It is an instrument that vibrates while producing a spray of water. It helps to loosen plaque and tartar from your tooth surfaces.
After loosening the tartar, special hand instruments are used to remove the tartar thoroughly. This part of the treatment scales or scrapes away the tartar but shouldn’t feel painful.
Once your teeth have been thoroughly scaled, your hygienist will carefully polish them. Polishing your teeth helps remove some surface stains. It also smooths your teeth, making it harder for new plaque and tartar to build up.
Your hygienist completes treatment by professionally flossing between your teeth. This removes any remaining plaque and tartar buildup and helps them check that every tooth is thoroughly cleaned.
Afterward, you have a chance to ask your hygienist any questions. They can give you lots of useful advice on caring for your teeth and gums in between visits, including guidance on how to brush and floss more effectively.
Generally, you will probably only need your teeth cleaned professionally every six months. However, this timeline can vary.
We may recommend more frequent cleanings if you have any existing dental or medical problems that increase your risk of developing dental issues.
For example, someone with gum disease may need to come and see us every three or four months. Someone with an autoimmune disorder and at higher risk of oral disease will benefit from more frequent dental cleanings.
We may also recommend more frequent cleanings during pregnancy. Sometimes, a condition called pregnancy gingivitis can develop. Increased sensitivity to plaque bacteria occurs due to hormonal changes and causes inflammation and infection. More frequent dental cleanings can help manage this condition more effectively.
Benefits include the following.
A dental cleaning is a great treatment just for freshening up your smile. By removing some surface stains, we can help improve the overall appearance of your teeth, making them look brighter and shinier. Removing plaque and bacteria helps eliminate bad breath.
These are the most important reasons for having your teeth cleaned professionally. By removing plaque and tartar buildup, we help eliminate bacteria that can cause oral disease.
Professional dental cleanings are an important preventive treatment. You can enjoy lower dental bills in the longer term by maintaining strong and healthy teeth and gums.
Maintaining healthy gums is extremely important for your general health. Advanced gum disease or periodontitis is linked to numerous serious health problems. These include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, respiratory illnesses, dementia and stroke.
At the same time, reducing your risk of these diseases will help you enjoy lower medical bills in the longer term.
If your teeth and gums are generally strong and healthy, dental cleaning should not hurt, although it might feel mildly uncomfortable if you have larger tartar deposits.
We take extensive care to ensure every treatment doesn’t hurt, including a dental cleaning. If your treatment feels uncomfortable or painful, please let us know immediately. Anyone with signs of gum disease or who has more sensitive teeth may benefit from local anesthetic.
After teeth cleaning, you may experience some temporary side effects, such as increased tooth sensitivity. Your gums could feel slightly sore when you brush and floss that night. These sensations should quickly disappear within a day or two.
Dental cleaning does not cost very much, and if you have dental insurance, it is almost certainly covered as a preventive dental care treatment.
Dental cleanings are non-invasive, effective, and safe. Afterward, you can enjoy having teeth that feel smooth and clean and look good and nicely cared for. If it’s been a while since your last dental cleaning, contact us to schedule your appointment.
