Dental cleanings, also known as prophylaxis or scaling and polishing, are aimed at maintaining oral health. Here’s what typically happens during a dental cleaning:
Plaque and Tartar Removal: Our dental hygienists or dentists use special instruments to remove plaque and tartar buildup from the surfaces of your teeth. Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria that forms on teeth and can lead to cavities and gum disease if not removed regularly. Tartar, also called calculus, is hardened plaque that can only be removed with professional cleaning.
Scaling: Scaling involves carefully removing plaque and tartar from above and below the gumline. This process helps prevent gum disease by eliminating bacteria that can irritate the gums and lead to inflammation.
Polishing: After scaling, the dental professional uses a polishing tool and a gritty toothpaste-like substance to polish the teeth. This helps remove surface stains and leaves the teeth smooth and clean.
Flossing: Dental floss is used to clean between the teeth and along the gumline, removing any remaining plaque or polishing paste.
Fluoride Treatment (Optional): Some dental cleanings may include a fluoride treatment, especially for patients at higher risk of tooth decay. Fluoride helps strengthen tooth enamel and can aid in cavity prevention.
Education and Recommendations: During the cleaning, the dental professional provides guidance on proper brushing and flossing techniques, as well as recommendations for oral hygiene products tailored to your needs. They may also discuss any concerns they notice during the cleaning and suggest follow-up care or treatment if necessary.
Regular dental cleanings, typically recommended every six months, play a crucial role in preventing dental problems, maintaining fresh breath, and promoting overall oral health. However, the frequency of cleanings may vary based on individual oral health needs, so it’s essential to follow your dentist’s recommendations.
What are the four types of dental cleanings?
Four types of dental cleaning are: number one, what you're doing at home, which is brushing and flossing every day, using a good mouthwash every day, morning and at night. The second kind of cleaning is what you get done here in a dental office, which is called adult prophylaxis or just a regular cleaning, like other people say, and what that basically means is you're getting your teeth cleaned every 6 months.
The third type of cleaning is called periodontal SRP, in which, when there is bone loss happening, there's a lot of tartar buildup going on in and around your gums, on top of your teeth. That means that you haven't had a cleaning done in many, many months or many years. So something called a deep cleaning, or SRP, is done by the doctor, and what it basically means is that we'll be numbing you up for that, cleaning up everything that's going on, and removing all the infection from the gums as well as the bone area, and letting that area heal. And there comes the fourth type of cleaning, which is called periodontal maintenance, in which we will, thereafter a deep cleaning, bring you back in every 3 months for your cleaning. That will give us a keen eye on what is happening with your gums. Are they improving in health or not? And also it will motivate you at home to take care of yourself better.
When is a deep cleaning recommended?
Like I said before, deep cleaning is done when there is a lot of buildup of tartar happening. There's a lot of gum inflammation. That means you see bleeding gums, a lot of yellowness on your teeth, and there is some amount of bone loss happening due to that infection in the gum area. So that is when a deep cleaning is recommended by the doctor.
What does a deep cleaning do?
What makes it a deep dental cleaning basically is that it removes all the tartar from in and around the teeth, the gum tissue, as well as the bone. So it removes the irritant, which is bacteria, which is causing this irritation, and lets the gums heal themselves, and the teeth become stronger. The bone becomes stronger, and they hold on to the teeth longer.
What happens during a deep cleaning?
During a deep cleaning, what the hygienist or the dentist does is they numb up the tissue area and clean up everything from in and around your teeth as well as underneath your gum area.
What happens during a regular dental cleaning?
In a regular dental cleaning, there is no bone loss happening. There may be some gum inflammation, commonly known as gingivitis. What it does is the hygienist or the doctor cleans up all the tissue around your teeth as well as your teeth. The tissue is not that deep, and the pockets are not that deep into the tissue. Therefore, all the tartar is easily removed during your regular dental cleaning.
How long does a dental cleaning take?
It depends on how much tartar buildup, how much inflammation, and how much crowding or no crowding is going on. So typically, I would say anywhere between 30 minutes to one and a half hours.
Can a dental cleaning damage my teeth?
It cannot damage the teeth. This is a myth. Please don't think about it.
Is getting a dental cleaning important?
I’d say a dental cleaning is the single most important thing that you're doing every 6 months or every few months for yourself, so that your teeth and your gums can become healthier and you can have longevity of teeth in your mouth for many, many years to come.
Is a dental cleaning painful?
No, it is not painful if done correctly. Yes, there may be some sensitivity here or there, but a dental cleaning should not hurt.
Why might my gums hurt after a teeth cleaning?
Because they're clean now. All that plaque, all that gunk that was on top of your teeth is all gone. Everything is big and bright and shiny, and yes, there is a slight bit of rawness to the gums. It will become better in no time. Sometimes sensitivity does occur because all that gum was covering up certain areas of the teeth, but the body takes care of it, and we recommend anti-sensitivity toothpaste if you're having severe sensitivity.
Do gums heal after tartar removal by the teeth cleaning?
Absolutely. That's the whole idea or purpose of a cleaning: that the gums heal. They become healthier, they become more adherent to the teeth and to the bone, and therefore the longevity of the teeth extends. If there is inflammation in the gums, then there is more bleeding, there's irritation, and the bone level keeps going down and down, and eventually the teeth start becoming loosey-goosey.
Does teeth cleaning include cavities?
Teeth cleaning does not include cavities. Your checkup includes cavities.
How much does a dental cleaning cost?
It depends on each office, provider, and location. So it's hard for us to say. It also depends on your insurance coverage, so on and so forth. But the majority of the time, dentists take what the insurance is giving.
Does teeth cleaning remove stains?
It does remove a lot of gunk. So yes, absolutely, they do.
How do I keep my teeth clean between dental cleanings?
Just brushing every day, twice daily. If you're eating something sticky, gooey, then brushing right after that. Not drinking a lot of soda, not drinking a lot of coffee, tea, red wine—do it in moderation. Keep going to the dentist regularly for your checkups and cleanings. That will make your teeth healthier and you healthier in totality. Also, flossing every day, especially at night and especially after eating something extremely sticky after lunch—I mean, the more you floss, the better it is.
What happens if I don’t keep my teeth clean?
If the teeth are not clean, then over the course of time, a lot of tartar or gunk starts getting deposited in and around your teeth and around your gum area. All that buildup is basically bacteria along with some calcium. So more and more bacteria start multiplying in that area, leading to more inflammation of your gums, redness, bogginess, swelling, bleeding, and eventually the bone will start retracting from that area because bone thinks, oh, this is an irritant, let me get away from it. So that bone starts dissolving, and you will lose bone around your teeth. Therefore, the anchorage of the teeth will go away, and the teeth will start becoming loose, and over the course of time, if not taken care of, you will lose your teeth.
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