Cleanings
A dental cleaning is a professional cleaning you receive from a dentist. Cleanings should be performed every six months to prevent excessive plaque buildup. Plaque left untreated can lead to unhealthy gums and tooth decay. A routine dental cleaning includes scaling, root planing and polishing.
Dental cleaning process
- Scaling: This is the process of removing plaque and tartar from all tooth surfaces. Cleaning begins with a dentist using an ultrasonic cleaning tool that causes vibrations on the teeth to assist in loosening plaque. Dentist utilizes a steam of water sprayed over the teeth to help remove plaque.
- Root planing: Involves in smoothing out the rough spots on the roots of teeth, which may promote gum disease by trapping and holding bacteria.
- Polishing: Once all plaque and tartar have been removed from gums and teeth, final step is brushing and polishing. A special cleanser is applied to a rotating instrument to gently scrub the surface of teeth and thereby polishing them.
Most dentists recommend getting professional cleanings done every 6 months, to prevent gum disease and the onset of other serious dental illnesses.