Dental cleaning: prophylaxis and scaling

However well you brush, plaque always stays in the awkward places: between the teeth, along the gum line, and behind the lower front teeth. Over time it hardens into calculus, which a toothbrush can no longer remove.

A dental cleaning takes away both. It is the simplest procedure there is and, at the same time, the one that prevents the most trouble: most cases of inflamed gums and bad breath start exactly there.

It is for you if it has been more than six months since your last cleaning, if your gums bleed when you brush, if you can see yellowish tartar at the base of your teeth, or if you simply want to keep things in order.

Prophylaxis and scaling: the difference

• Prophylaxis. The cleaning itself: soft plaque and surface staining are removed, and the surfaces are polished so plaque builds up more slowly afterwards.
• Scaling. Removal of hardened calculus, both on the tooth and just below the gum margin, using ultrasonic and hand instruments.

Most appointments include both, one after the other. Where calculus sits well below the gum and support has been lost, that is no longer a cleaning: it is gum treatment, and we will tell you so plainly.

What the appointment involves

We start by checking the teeth and gums to see how much calculus there is and where. Then the scaling is done quadrant by quadrant, and polishing comes last.

It does not usually need anaesthetic. If your gums are very inflamed or you have marked sensitivity, tell us before we start: we work more slowly and can split it across two visits.

At the end we show you where plaque is collecting most and what to adjust in your brushing. That part is what makes the next cleaning easier.

Afterwards

• Some sensitivity to cold for a few days is normal and usually settles on its own.
• If your gums were inflamed they may bleed a little the first few times you brush. Keep brushing gently: the bleeding reduces as the gum recovers.
• The spaces between your teeth may feel more open. That is because the calculus that filled them has gone.
• Floss daily, and brush the gum margin too, not just the face of the tooth.

To book your cleaning with Higienista Oral, message us on 0312 4869987 or call 0312 4869987.