What is Teeth Cleaning?
You might despise teeth cleaning. With the prodding, strange noises, and possible jaw discomfort, it is easy to understand your anxiety and apprehension. Yet teeth cleaning is really simple and painless.
Understanding the process will help ease your stress and help you enjoy the results.
The Teeth Cleaning Procedure
- A Physical Exam- Many teeth cleanings are performed by a dental hygienist. Before they start the cleaning process, they begin with a physical exam of your entire mouth. The hygienist will use a small mirror to examine around your teeth and gums for signs of swelling, inflamed gums, or other possible concerns. If they identify an issue, they will confirm with your dentist to clarify whether it is all right to proceed.
- Removing Damaging Plaque and Tartar- The dental hygienist uses a handheld scaler to remove plaque and tartar around your gum line, as well as in between your teeth. You will hear a scraping sound, but this is normal. The more tartar that has accumulated, the more time needed to scrape. Your daily brushing and flossing stop plaque from building up and hardening into tartar. When you have tartar, you must have it removed professionally. If this process is your least favorite part of teeth cleaning, the takeaway is to simply do a better job brushing and flossing every day.
- Gritty Toothpaste Cleaning- After your teeth are cleaned, the hygienist will brush them with an electric brush, making even more noise. It provides a deep clean and removes any remaining tartar. Professional cleanings use gritty consistency toothpaste that gently scrubs your teeth. This polishing of the teeth is perfectly safe to do twice a year by your dental professional.
- Professional Flossing- Even though you floss consistently at home, it does not compare to an expert flossing session. Your dental hygienist gets deeper between your teeth and locates any potential trouble spots. This may seem pointless because you floss at home, but having a professional floss also removes leftover plaque or gritty toothpaste from the cleaning process.
- Rinsing- Now you rinse to get rid of debris. Your dental hygienist usually uses a rinse that contains liquid fluoride.
- Applying Fluoride Treatment- The last step of the professional cleaning process is fluoride treatment. This treatment provides additional protection for your teeth for several months.
They place the foamy gel, or sometimes sticky paste, into a tray that fits over your teeth. It is left on your teeth for one minute. In addition to this foamy gel, fluoride varnish might also be painted onto the teeth. The fluoride varnish hardens when it encounters saliva, so you can eat and drink immediately.
Other Potential Steps
Professional teeth cleanings and exams are ideally scheduled twice a year, while X-rays are usually added once a year. Depending on what your dental team identifies in your mouth, they may do other exams during your visit. For a child, your dentist may recommend molar sealants to help prevent cavities on their rear teeth, which can be difficult to brush.
The goal is to keep visiting your dentist for teeth cleaning to prevent problems altogether. By understanding your teeth cleaning benefits in advance, you will feel at ease and maybe even look forward to these appointments.