Dental Articles - London

Getting your teeth professionally cleaned might not be your favourite thing to do. You might hear strange noises, feel some prodding, and your jaw might feel a bit sore. But for most people, teeth cleaning is easy and doesn't hurt. Keep reading to find out why this simple visit is so important for healthy teeth and gums.

What Happens During a Professional Teeth Cleaning?

A dental hygienist usually does your teeth cleaning. They start by looking inside your mouth for any signs of red or swollen gums or other problems.

The main goal of teeth cleaning is to remove plaque from your teeth. Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria that can cause cavities and gum disease (gingivitis). Your hygienist also removes tartar, which is hardened plaque that you can't remove with brushing alone. (If you have dentures, a special denture cleaner can help keep them clean.)

Your hygienist uses a small tool called a scaler to gently scrape away plaque and tartar from between your teeth and around your gum line. If you have a lot of tartar, this part might take a bit longer. Brushing and flossing regularly at home helps stop plaque from hardening into tartar.

Special Toothpaste and Deep Cleaning

After removing all the tartar, your hygienist will brush your teeth with a special, gritty toothpaste. It tastes and smells like regular toothpaste but helps get rid of any leftover tartar. They use a powerful electric brush to make sure your teeth are extra clean.

Professional Flossing and Rinsing

Even if you floss every day, professional flossing is different. Your dental hygienist can reach areas you might miss and check for issues like bleeding gums. They also remove any bits of toothpaste or plaque left behind from earlier in the cleaning.

Next, your hygienist will rinse your mouth with a special liquid that contains fluoride. This helps wash away any remaining debris.

What Happens Next?

It's recommended to have your teeth professionally cleaned twice a year. Your dentist might suggest an X-ray once a year. Depending on what they find, they might recommend other check-ups. For children, dentists sometimes suggest sealants on back teeth. These are protective coatings that help prevent cavities in hard-to-reach spots.

Professional teeth cleaning does things you can't do at home. Even if you brush and floss very carefully, you can still develop problems, especially in areas that are hard to reach.

Professional cleaning also includes:

• Debridement: If you have a lot of tartar, your hygienist will use special hand tools or ultrasonic instruments to loosen the hard deposits on your teeth. Sometimes, they use a salt water solution to help with this. This makes it easier to remove the tartar.
• Tooth Polishing: This smooths the surface of your teeth.
• Optional Tooth Whitening: Sometimes, after a cleaning, you might choose to have your teeth whitened.

Final Steps: Fluoride Treatment

The last step of your professional cleaning is a fluoride treatment. This helps protect your teeth from cavities. Mek Dental offers different fluoride flavours to choose from!

The fluoride is usually a paste or foamy gel that your hygienist puts into a mouth tray, which you hold in your mouth for about a minute. They might also paint a fluoride varnish onto your teeth with a small brush. This varnish gets harder when it mixes with your saliva, so you can eat and drink right away.

To keep your teeth healthy and prevent problems, it's important to get regular professional teeth cleanings.

Mek Dental in London, ON, is here to help with your oral health. We offer professional cleanings, cosmetic dentistry, emergency dentistry, and dental whitening.

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Dentist London