Everything We Need to Know About Dental Cleaning

Dental cleaning, also known as prophylaxis, is a process that aims to remove bacterial plaque and tartar that accumulates on the teeth. It is a simple, painless process that is carried out in a dental surgery.

Nowadays, dental cleaning has become one of the most common and habitual processes, being an excellent alternative to prevent our mouth from all kinds of pathologies, such as caries or gingivitis.

How is a dental cleaning performed?

We have already mentioned in the previous paragraph that dental cleaning has the mission of removing plaque and tartar that accumulate on the teeth, especially in the areas close to the gums.

Is It Time to Visit the Dentist?

Schedule a Dental Cleaning Appointment

Agendar cita limpieza dental

One of the main reasons why this process is necessary is due to a poor or non-existent dental hygiene routine, so once again the importance of brushing our teeth after every meal must be stressed.

In addition, flossing is necessary to remove food debris and plaque from the interdental spaces.

What is tartar?

Tartar is the result of the solidification of dental plaque and not only causes serious aesthetic damage, but can also be the origin and cause of all kinds of oral diseases, such as pyorrhoea or caries. 
Unlike bacterial plaque, tartar cannot be removed through brushing

After this important introduction, it is time to get down to business.

  • Dental cleaning is usually done using an ultrasonic device with a fine tip, which vibrates when it comes into contact with a hard object. Thanks to these vibrations, plaque and tartar can be removed quickly and easily.
  • Another tool used in tooth cleaning is a pressurised air instrument, which uses bicarbonate to remove dental stains.
  • Finally, the last step of the tooth cleaning process is to use a polishing paste to polish the surface of the tooth.

Is it a painful process?

Nowadays, thanks to the numerous advances in the dentistry sector, we should be thankful that there are no painful treatments. In the case of dental cleaning, we should know that this is one of the few processes that, in principle, does not require the use of local anaesthesia.

It is true that the patient may feel some slight discomfort during the process and it is possible that dental sensitivity may appear in the following days.

Be that as it may, we are talking about a very simple process that will help us to improve the aesthetics of our mouth as well as being one of the most recommended methods of preventing oral diseases at present.

In the event that a patient feels pain during the procedure (due to the poor condition of their teeth), a local anaesthetic will be applied so that they do not feel pain during the procedure.

It is clear that the main objective of the specialists is that none of their patients suffer.

How often should we have our teeth cleaned?

As a general rule, it is recommended to undergo this process on an annual basis, however the frequency of this intervention will depend on many factors.

For example, people who have an optimal dental hygiene routine may not need to have their teeth cleaned as regularly, while patients who are not very consistent in their brushing may need to have several dental cleanings in a year.

In any case, it is important to visit the dentist regularly so that he or she can examine your mouth and recommend the process that best suits your needs.

Through these visits we will not only be able to know if we need a dental cleaning, but we will also be able to control the appearance of diseases such as caries or gingivitis.

In short, we can define dental cleaning as one of the most recommended oral procedures nowadays and it is one of the best aesthetic and functional alternatives at present.

Agenta tu primera cita con el dentista en Mexicali, México.

Smilers Dental Clinic es una clínica de especialidades dentales. Agenda tu primera cita y recibe un diagnóstico y presupuesto completo.

This post is purely informational and does not replace a consultation with the dentist in any way. Contact the smile agents team to schedule an appointment with one of the dentists at Smilers Dental Clinic.