Dental Cleaning

Dental cleaning means the professional the cleaning you can only receive from a dentist or dental hygienist. A routine dental cleaning should include scaling, root planning and polishing. These three important steps are outlined in detail below.

Scaling: This is the removal of plaque and tartar from all tooth surfaces with different types of scaling being used in relation to the amount of plaque and tartar.

Dental hygienists perform traditional scaling by hand. Advances in technology have led to more modern methods such as electric scalers, which allow dental cleaning to be done in much shorter period of time. However, to achieve best results, electric and manual scaling should be combined in dental cleaning.

Ultrasonic scaling uses a machine called a cavitron, which uses sound waves to remove tartar. Ultrasonic scalers can only remove 50% of total tartar buildup so hand scaling must follow cavitron scaling. People who wear pacemaker cannot get ultrasonic scaling because the ultrasonic sound can interfere with the function of the pacemaker.

Root planning: This is the cleaning of pockets to stop further gum problems.

Root planning is used to treat perio conditions, which are moderate to advanced gum diseases. When the gum is inflamed, gum pockets become deeper and they lose bone connections inside. The deeper these pockets are the easier it is for them to trap plaque deposits and make the gum worse.

Root planning is essentially inserting the pointy front of handle scalers into below the gum pockets to clean plaque buildup. Sometimes local anesthesia is needed to prevent any feeling of pain and depending on the degree of difficulties, root planning can take several dental visits.

Polishing: This is the finishing touch of rubbing on the surface of the teeth

There are two kinds of polishing, air polishing and rubber tip polishing. Prophy-jet® a type of air polishing works by spraying high pressured water mixed with baking soda paste onto the surface of your teeth. This powered water can wash away the residue and plaque, while the baking soda removes the brown and yellow stains and neutralizes the acidic conditions in your mouth. Rubber cup polishing employs a low-speed hand piece with a rubber cup tip mounted on the top that contains a polishing paste that is made of abrasive ingredients ideal for removing stains.

The amount of time needed for dental cleaning depends on factors from plaque deposits, complication of dental restorations and your gingival health. People with more tartar and plaque buildup need longer appointments than those who have relatively cleaner teeth. In a moderate case dental cleaning should take about 25 to 30 minutes. Cleaning should be performed every six months to prevent excessive plaque build up. Lack of cleaning allows the growth of plaque, which if left unchecked can lead to the various types of conditions involved in tooth decay.