Most of us fear a visit to the dentist and postpone routine dental check-ups like teeth cleaning. But what many of us don’t realise, is that teeth cleaning is a simple, quick, and painless procedure that can help prevent dental diseases.
An Overview of Teeth Cleaning
During a routine dental check-up, your dental hygienist will perform teeth cleaning. Teeth cleaning consists of using special instruments to remove plaque and tartar build-up.
When we eat or drink, the acids, sugars, and particles from our meals form a thin layer of biofilm over our teeth that eventually solidifies causing plaque. Too much plaque can increase the number of bacteria which may cause gum and tooth diseases.
Whilst brushing and flossing regularly can help prevent plaque from building up quickly, routine dental cleaning twice a year will effectively remove this build up especially in hard-to-reach areas, keeping your oral hygiene in order for longer.
Before Your Dental Appointment
Before your dentist appointment make sure to brush your teeth. By removing any food residue, you’ll make your dental professional’s job easier - not to mention quicker!
If visiting your dentist makes you anxious make sure you get plenty of sleep the night before and try breathing exercises or meditation.
Remember, procrastinating about getting a dental check-up may put your oral health at risk so if you’re really scared of dental procedures, visit your dental hygienist more often.
The Dental Check-Up Procedure
Using a small mirror, your dentist or dental hygienist will check your teeth and gums for any signs of a gum disease called gingivitis and look for possible cavities in your teeth and any other dental concerns.
If no dental problems show up, your dental hygienist will proceed to cleaning your teeth.
Dental Scaling & Polishing: Tartar & Plaque Removal
Your dental hygienist will use specialised instruments to remove plaque and tartar deposits. Whilst these tools may look (and sound) scary, they’re designed to protect your teeth and remove plaque and tartar without damaging your teeth or gums.
Professional Teeth Cleaning Instruments
Ultrasonic instruments are used to break down tartar residues. These powered instruments create high-pitched sounds and are usually used in combination with irrigation in the form of cooling mists that also helps wash away the debris.
Scalers and curettes are hand-held instruments used after ultrasonic instruments to remove the remaining small deposits of plaque between the teeth.
Teeth Polishing
Once the plaque and tartar residues have been removed, your dental hygienist will polish your teeth using a small rotary power brush handpiece.
This tooth polishing procedure is carried out using a mildly abrasive prophy paste with fluoride which helps remove stains leaving your teeth feeling smooth and looking glossy.
Polishing with a fluoride treatment doesn’t just make your teeth appear cleaner, it also helps freshen your breath and avoid tooth decay.
Teeth Cleaning by Brushing and Flossing
Dentists ideally recommend you clean teeth after every meal, but if that’s not possible, then in the mornings and evening before going to bed.
You should brush your teeth for at least 2 minutes making sure you cover all areas.
Cleaning Teeth with Electric Toothbrush
Electric toothbrushes using oscillating-rotating technology can provide better oral health results as the motion cups the teeth and helps reach more tooth area.
To clean your teeth using an electric toothbrush follow these steps:
Place a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste on your brush
Focus on 1-2 teeth at the time, for a total of 30 seconds per quadrant
To clean behind the front teeth, tilt the brush vertically so you can reach the space in between your teeth with more ease.
Cleaning Teeth by Flossing
Flossing regularly ensures that plaque and tartar doesn’t build up in between your teeth. There are a variety of different flosses including floss picks, satin flosses and ribbon flosses.
To floss correctly follow these steps:
If you’re using satin or ribbon floss, break off a piece about 45cm (18 inches) long to ensure you keep a clean segment in place for each tooth.
Wrap the dental floss around your index or middle finger in one hand and a smaller bit in the index or middle fingers on the other hand and slide the floss so you’re cleaning between teeth.
Move the floss in a zigzag motion sliding up and down against the tooth and gum line.
Fluoride Treatment for Teeth
Fluoride is a mineral naturally found in bones and teeth that helps maintain healthy teeth. Most toothpastes contain fluoride because it helps remineralize weakened tooth enamel, reduce the growth of harmful oral bacteria and reverse the early signs of tooth decay.
For this reason, dentists recommend cleaning your teeth using fluoride toothpastes and if you’re prone to getting cavities, using a fluoride-based mouthwash as well.
Other Dental Check-Up Processes
When you book a dental appointment, your dentist may also take dental x-rays to see if there is any hidden damage like decay in between teeth or below existing fillings, impacted wisdom teeth issues or cysts.
If the X-ray results show you have dental problems, your dentist may suggest a course of treatments or refer you to dental specialist’s further examinations.
FAQs
Is it painful to get teeth cleaned?
Getting your teeth professionally cleaned should be painless. If you experience pain or discomfort notify your dental professional immediately as they’ll be able to determine the source of your pain.
How long should I go between visits?
Dentists recommend you visit your dental practice at least twice a year. Depending on your oral health, they may suggest you visit more often so always follow professional advice.
Can I eat after teeth cleaning?
If your teeth cleaning procedure involved fluoride treatments, dentists and dental hygienists recommend you wait at least 30 minutes before eating or drinking. That’s to ensure the treatment takes full effect.
What does a dental hygienist do?
Dental Hygienists are the primary preventive oral health providers and the acknowledged experts in the field of dental disease prevention, especially common chronic diseases such as dental decay and gum disease. Their focus on preventive dentistry is through clinical intervention and dental health education.
Sources:
https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/dental-visit-adult
https://www.healthline.com/health/dental-oral-health/what-happens-during-a-tooth-cleaning
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