Many people have a love-hate feeling for dental cleaning, and it’s understandable. When you think of all the poking, funny sounds, and the random discomfort in your jaw and teeth, it’s normal to feel apprehensive about the process.
If it’s your first time booking an appointment at the dentist for teeth cleanings, you don’t have to fret because, for most people, dental cleaning is pretty simple and pain-free. However, knowing what to expect during your visit to StudioSmiles NYC can help prepare you and reduce anxiety. So, what happens during your professional teeth cleanings?What is Dental Cleaning?
Before going into the details of what goes on at our dentist’s office during a deep dental cleaning process, let’s talk about what teeth cleanings are. First, let’s establish that dental cleaning is important to maintaining healthy gum and teeth. During the process, our dental hygienist or dentist will work to remove plaque and tartar from your teeth and, of course, get rid of bacteria buildup. At the same time, they may also carry out other preventive teeth procedures, such as fluoride treatments and dental sealants, to ensure optimal oral health. It’s important to talk to the dental hygienist if you have fear or anxiety. The dentist may administer sedation to ensure you remain relaxed and comfortable during your appointment.What are the Types of Dental Cleaning Options You Can Explore?
While there are different options for teeth cleanings, they all have the same objective – to remove bacteria and minimize the risk of oral dental issues. The dental hygienist at StudioSmiles NYC will determine the best option for you based on your specific needs. The following are the available dental cleaning options:Prophylaxis:
This is the most common dental cleaning option and is a general routine preventive cleaning. It is ideal for people with healthy teeth and mouth and minimal plaque buildup.Scaling and Root Planing:
This teeth procedure is known as deep dental cleaning, and it’s used when our dentist thinks you need a deeper cleaning. Scaling and root planing get deep into your gum line and flush out bacteria, plaque, and calculus (hardened tartar) at your teeth roots. The treatment is often used for people with mild to moderate gum disease, called periodontitis. The dentist will usually administer local anesthesia to numb your gum before performing a scaling and root planing procedure.Gross Debridement:
If you’ve not been to the dentist in more than a year, our dentist may recommend gross debridement. Additionally, if you have extensive plaque buildup, you can also benefit from this treatment. Gross debridement is like prophylaxis, but the procedure often takes longer. The goal of the procedure is to decide if there are other oral dental issues to be considered before your teeth cleanings.What to Expect in a Deep Dental Cleaning at Our Dental Hygienist
A dental cleaning generally entails scaling and polishing your teeth to get rid of plaque and improve your enamel, among others. Our dentist or hygienist may also request other preventive treatment options depending on your specific needs. Let’s look at the common treatment options performed during a dental cleaning at our clinic.A Physical Examination
Before the cleaning process starts, the dental hygienist at StudioSmiles NYC will perform a physical exam of your mouth. They will use a small mirror to examine your mouth and teeth for any signs of inflamed gums (gingivitis) or other possible oral dental issues. If they find any serious problems with your teeth and gums, the hygienist may notify the dentist so they can determine how to proceed.Scaling to Remove Plaque and Tartar
This is the next step in the dental cleaning process. After checking your mouth with the small mirror, our dentist or hygienist will use scalers to remove plaque and tartar from the surfaces of your teeth and gum line. They may also use an ultrasonic scaler that vibrates and sprays water during the procedure. You may hear some scraping sounds, but you shouldn’t experience any hurt during the process. It’s crucial to emphasize that brushing and flossing are good ways to prevent plaque from building up on teeth and hardening into tartar. If you develop tartar, visiting your dentist is the only way to remove it. So, to reduce the possibility of this visit, include regular brushing and flossing in your daily teeth cleanings.Polishing with Gritty Toothpaste
Now that your teeth are totally free from tartar, our dental hygienist will brush them with a high-powered electric brush. You’ll hear a grinding noise while this is going on. It can sound scary, but you don’t have to worry. It’s all about deep cleaning and removing any plaque or tartar debris left from the scaler. Professional teeth cleanings use toothpaste that has the smell and taste of your regular toothpaste. But here is the perk – you can choose between flavors at our dentist’s office. While the smell and taste may seem similar, professional toothpaste has a gritty consistency that mildly scrubs your teeth. This polishing process is considered safe to perform twice a year if done by a professional. It is not recommended that you use it for brushing at home because being harsh with your teeth can wear out the enamel and cause other oral health issues.Professional Flossing
Even if you floss regularly at home, you can’t compare the experience with a professional session at our clinic. During your dental cleaning procedure, our dental hygienist will use flossing equipment to get deep between your teeth to locate any trouble spots that may cause bleeding gums. This may seem unnecessary while flossing at home, but when our professional team does the flossing, they can remove any leftover plaque and tartar or toothpaste left after the cleaning process.Mouth Rinsing
The next step before the last step is to rinse your mouth to remove debris. The dental hygienist will give you a rinse with liquid fluoride to thoroughly rinse your teeth.Fluoride Treatment
This is the last step in the cleaning process, and it involves applying a fluoride treatment. The treatment creates a protective layer on your teeth, helping to fight cavities for many months after the deep teeth cleaning procedure. You can choose your favorite flavor, and our dentist or hygienist will place the foamy gel or sticky paste in a mouthpiece that fits over your teeth. You will leave this on for about a minute. In addition to the foamy gel, they can apply fluoride varnish on your teeth with a small brush. The fluoride varnish will often harden as soon as it comes in contact with your saliva, meaning you can eat and drink as soon as you complete the treatment.What are the other Preventive Treatments in the Dental Cleaning Process?
Your specific oral health needs will determine the preventive treatment that our hygienist may suggest. For example, they may propose preventive treatment options like fluoride treatment or dental sealants. If you have back teeth with crevices or deep grooves, our hygienist may suggest dental sealants to help protect the areas from cavity-causing bacteria. They can also propose fluoride treatments to help strengthen your enamel and minimize the risk of developing cavities. Adults and children can benefit from both treatment options. We recommend asking our dentist or hygienist if preventive treatments are for you.Do You Need Dental X-Rays?
Most people will need teeth x-rays every six to thirty-six months. However, people who have issues with their teeth and mouth that require frequent monitoring, such as bleeding gums, may be asked to do more regular X-rays. Our dentist may also recommend routine X-rays to diagnose or treat some dental conditions. If the dental hygienist or dentist finds dental issues during your teeth cleanings, such as gum disease or cavities, they will discuss your treatment options.What are the Risks and Benefits of Teeth Cleanings?
Routine teeth cleanings have quite several benefits and, of course, a few risks worth considering before going for the procedure. Let’s look at them briefly.Benefits:
- It reduces the risk of major oral health issues, like gum disease, cavities, and bleeding gums.
- Improved overall health: Oral health is strongly connected to general well-being. Therefore, routine teeth cleanings can help minimize the risk of dementia, stroke, and heart disease.
- Prevents bad breath: Hardened plaque and tartar often cause bad breath, but routine dental cleaning can help protect against halitosis as they remove harmful microbes from your teeth surface.
- Reduced Oral Health Cost: Preventive dental care, like dental cleanings, can stop oral health issues before they start. This can help you save a lot of money and time, depending on how early they are detected.
