What Does a Dental Cleaning Do?

Don’t you know what dental cleaning does? If so, we suggest reading this article to learn about the cleaning process and understand how it brightens your smile.

Do you fear teeth cleanings as many people do? You might not like the prodding and some jaw discomfort making it comfortable to understand your apprehension. However, many people think teeth cleaning is simple and painless.

Understanding precisely what will likely happen during the teeth cleaning process and what it does for your dental health helps ease your stress to allow you the enjoy minty fresh results.

Happenings during Teeth Cleanings

Physical Exam

A dental hygienist generally performs teeth cleanings. Before starting the cleaning process, the hygienist examines your entire mouth using tiny mirrors to check around your teeth and gums for symptoms of inflamed gums indicating gingivitis or other problems. If they detect significant issues, the hygienist calls the dentist to confirm whether it is acceptable to proceed.

Plaque and Tartar Removal

With the tiny mirror for guidance, the hygienist removes plaque and tartar between your teeth and around your gum line. The scraping sounds you hear during the cleaning are expected, especially if you have excessive tartar in the mouth because the hygienist needs more time to scrape the specific spot.

Brushing and flossing prevent plaque from building up and hardening into tartar within two days. Unfortunately, if you have hardened tartar on your teeth, you need help from a dental professional because it is nonremovable by brushing. Therefore you must ensure you don’t allow plaque to accumulate on your teeth by brushing and flossing diligently.

Gritty Toothpaste Cleaning

After plaque and tartar removal, the hygienist brushes your teeth with an electric toothbrush and gritty toothpaste making a grinding noise. The sound is not pleasant but scary, but it is an excellent way to receive a deep clean and remove any tartar remaining between your teeth from the scaling.

Does Teeth Cleaning Make Teeth Whiter?

Teeth cleaning is not a whitening remedy but undoubtedly makes your teeth appear whiter because the hygienist polishes your teeth with the electric toothbrush and gritty toothpaste after plaque and tartar removal and the gritty consistency of the toothpaste helps brighten your teeth. However, you must refrain from using similar techniques at home because you can wear down the enamel.

Flossing Lessons

After getting your teeth cleaned by the dental hygienist, you receive a flossing lesson. The professional gets deep between your gums to identify trouble spots that might bleed to make it feel that the exercise is pointless if you floss your teeth regularly at home. However, professional flossing is unlike at home and helps remove any leftover plaque and toothpaste from the cleaning process.

Fluoride Treatment

The eventual step in cleaning is getting fluoride to protect your teeth in your battle against cavities for several months. The fluoride hardens instantly when it comes into contact with saliva, allowing you to eat and drink immediately after.

What Color Are Healthy Teeth?

Primary or baby teeth are naturally white because children have thicker enamel that doesn’t allow the dentin to become visible. How the color of the teeth changes to yellow with enamel erosion from foods and beverages, injuries, infections, et cetera.

Therefore it is natural to have yellow teeth because it is not a sign of poor oral health. In reality, many factors control the appearance of your teeth depending on your genes and the thickness of the tooth enamel.

Unfortunately, it might indicate that enamel erosion has weakened the teeth making them prone to chipping and needing cosmetic dental treatments for restoration.

Other Steps during Teeth Cleanings

Professional cleanings are essential twice annually, while x-rays are generally taken once a year. However, depending on what the dentist or hygienist notices in your mouth, they might request additional exams during your visit.

In addition, dentists might recommend molar sealants on children’s teeth to help prevent cavities in the difficult-to-reach areas of the mouth.

Whether you need additional exams or not, it is crucial to keep returning to the dentist for six monthly teeth cleanings to prevent dental issues.

When you understand what to expect when getting dental cleaning in Poway, you will likely feel more at ease and start looking forward to these appointments.

Teeth cleanings from dentists are preventive measures that ensure you are not affected by problems like cavities, gum disease, or other issues.

In addition, cleaning your teeth helps you flash a brighter smile because your teeth get polished by the hygienist. Therefore scheduling six monthly visits to your dentist should remain an essential practice within your dental hygiene routine.

North County Dental Group recommends regular dental cleanings for adults, children, and the elderly as a preventive measure against unexpected dental issues.

If you haven’t received teeth cleaning for some time, kindly do not hesitate to contact this practice to display a brighter smile.