Professional teeth cleaning is a preventive procedure performed by dentists to maintain optimal oral health.
During a professional cleaning procedure, the dentist aims to remove the plaque and tartar build-up on the teeth to protect them from cavities and other dental and gum problems.
Although cleaning teeth at home is a daily routine, each person still needs a deeper and more thorough cleaning that only a dentist can provide. This is because brushing alone is not enough to properly remove plaque from the teeth.
Who needs professional teeth cleaning and what to expect
In our dental clinic in Tbilisi , any dentist always recommends professional teeth cleaning at least once every six months for the purpose of various preventions. If the patient has existing oral problems, cleaning should be done more often. The word “prophylaxis” comes from the Greek word “preventing”.
Plaque can easily build up on tooth surfaces even when a person brushes their teeth carefully and regularly. A daily brushing routine can slow down the build-up of plaque, but cannot completely prevent it.
Plaque is a soft, sticky layer that is saturated with bacteria. Long-term accumulation of plaque can easily lead to caries and eventually tooth decay.
Tartar, on the other hand, is a hard calcium build-up that builds up over time in the same way that limescale builds up in a boiler or on a water pipe. In most cases, it is the same color as the teeth, making it difficult to notice, although in some cases, it is brown or black in color.
If tartar is not removed from the surface of the tooth, over a long period of time, it becomes the best environment for bacteria to multiply and grow.
With a professional dental cleaning, the surface of the tooth remains clean and smooth, so it is difficult for bacteria to exist on it.
Purpose of professional teeth cleaning:
- Preventing caries
- Oral health
- Prevention of periodontal disease
- Removal of excess plaque from tooth surfaces
- Cleaning teeth from pigment stains
- Preparation of teeth for other procedures, such as: teeth whitening , teeth filling .
What does teeth cleaning involve?
Professional teeth cleaning can be performed by a dentist or dental hygienist. The procedure includes:
Tooth scaling – removal of solid plaque and pigmentation using a special tool.
Tooth polishing – after scaling, polishing is done, as a result of which the surface of the teeth becomes smooth and shiny.
The dentist will use various sparing tools to carefully remove plaque from the teeth:
Ultrasonic instruments – these are instruments that use vibration to remove large stones and thus remove them from the surface of the tooth. At the same time, it sprays a cool stream of water to wash away small debris.
Scalers or curettes are smaller hand tools that dentists use to manually remove small stones. They are very effective in removing dental plaque.
Polisher – this is a hand tool with a soft rubber end, brushes of different sizes and shapes, which moves slowly to polish the surface of the tooth.
Fluoridation – Dentists may also use fluoride when cleaning teeth. Available in foam or gel form, fluoride helps strengthen teeth to offset the negative effects of plaque and tartar. If fluoride is used, the patient is advised not to eat, drink, or rinse oral cavity for at least 30 minutes after application.
Possible complications and risks
The process of professional teeth cleaning does not cause pain and is generally comfortable.
Teeth should be cleaned thoroughly and carefully. If cleaning is done too vigorously or incorrectly, there is a risk of gum damage, making the gums more vulnerable to infection. Damaged gums also cause pain, gingivitis (swelling and inflammation) and bleeding gums. There is also a risk of damage to tooth enamel.
Richter’s clinic is a place where the risk of complications is minimized or absent at all. The dentists of our clinic take great responsibility for the health of each patient, which is manifested by continuous professional education and the introduction of new technological advances.
