Teeth Cleaning

No matter how well you brush and floss your teeth, you can’t remove all the tiny food particles stuck in the deep recesses of your mouth. This is especially true if you have crooked or misaligned teeth when the food particles get caught between your teeth and gums.

Over time, the accumulated food particles turn into a white sticky substance called plaque, which eventually hardens into a substance called tartar within 10 to 14 hours. No matter how much you brush your teeth, you can’t remove tartar. The formation of plaque and tartar leads to increased bacterial growth.

Eventually, the bacteria affect your gums and teeth, leading to cavities and gum disease. As such, if you don’t go for regular dentist teeth cleaning, you’re more likely to suffer from cavities, gum disease, periodontal disease, and other dental problems.

People often use the terms “teeth cleaning” and “dental deep cleaning” interchangeably. However, the two bear distinct differences.

Teeth cleaning is a part of a routine dental checkup, involving plaque removal and teeth polishing. Dentist teeth cleaning is done to prevent periodontal disease and dental decay.

Dental deep cleaning involves the removal of bacterial colonies from your mouth and treating gingivitis and periodontitis. As such, dental deep cleaning, including scaling and root planing, is done to treat gum disease.

• Physical Examination: Before the dental cleaning procedure, the dentist will examine your teeth for gum disease and periodontitis. Routine dental cleaning is only done if you don’t have gum disease. If you have gum disease, your dentist will recommend a dental deep cleaning, including root planing and scaling.
• Periodontal Scaling: With a small mirror as a guide, the dentist or dental hygienist will use a scaler to remove all the accumulated plaque and tartar from your teeth and around the gum line. This process is called periodontal scaling.
• Polishing: After removing all the accumulated plaque and tartar, the dentist will polish your teeth by brushing it with a high-powered electric toothbrush and a gritty toothpaste.
• Flossing: The dentist will thoroughly floss your teeth to identify trouble spots and remove remaining plaque from between your teeth.
• Rinsing: The dental hygienist will have you rinse to remove all the debris from your mouth.
• Fluoride Treatment: Finally, the dentist will apply a fluoride gel to your mouth, and then paint some fluoride varnish to your teeth. Fluoride treatment is done to protect your teeth from bacteria for a few months.