DENTAL HYGIENE
Regular check-ups and cleanings provided by a dental hygienist can help prevent dental problems like gum inflammation, decays, and losing teeth.
It is advised to see your dentist or dental hygienist at least twice a year to maintain a better oral hygiene and healthy teeth.
Food, debris and saliva combine to form plaque, a sticky film which builds up all over your teeth. The acids in plaque dissolve the enamel surface of the teeth, creating holes in the teeth called caries, or decay and also cause bad breath. Most of this plaque can be removed easily by brushing our teeth.But there are spots that our brush cannot reach and the plaque continues to build up until it hardens into calculus or tartar- a yellow or brown mineral deposit. In the tartar bacteria start to spread and produce acids and chemicals causing gum inflammation and soft tissue pockets. To remove this tartar, you can’t reach from your teeth, you need to visit your dentist or dental hygienist.
SCALE AND POLISH
Scale and polish is usually performed by a general dentist or a dental hygienist. Usually it is a painless procedure, however the sensitivity of the teeth are very individual and the patient might need local anesthesia to avoid major discomfort or pain. For a simple cleaning scaler is used to remove calculus. It has a fine tip that vibrates and also emits a jet of water that washes away the debris. Different types of hand scalers and can also be used to remove smaller deposits.
A special toothpaste and a spinning brush is used to polish your teeth to make the surface sooth and give less grip for plaque retention. The toothpaste contains fluoride to strengthen the enamel and provide essential minerals to any teeth that have been eroded by acid.
Sand blasting polish removes all micro stains especially coming from smoking, red vine etc.
You may experience some pain if you have sore gums or you require more in-depth cleaning around roots.
DEEP CLEANING
Deep cleaning is necessary in case of existing soft tissue or bony pockets. This is usually made under local anesthesia with manual curette scalers. With this treatment it is possible to clean and smooth the surface of the roots and remove the inflamed soft tissue from the pockets around the teeth. It is known as perio treatment as well. This helps the gum recover and adhere to the surface of the teeth.
Some cases the dentist place few stitches to help the recovery process.