Poor oral hygiene readily leads to dental issues. Beyond yellowing or darkening teeth, it significantly increases the risk of periodontitis. Therefore, individuals with excessive tartar buildup and noticeable plaque often opt for professional cleaning to achieve whiter teeth and reduce the likelihood of oral diseases. So, what does the teeth cleaning process entail? Let's explore below.
The teeth cleaning process is as follows:
1. Disinfection: Before starting, the dentist will usually ask the patient to rinse with a disinfectant solution. This effectively reduces bacteria in saliva, minimizing contamination.
The process may cause mild discomfort. If gum inflammation is severe, bleeding may occur during scaling. The amount of bleeding often reflects the severity of inflammation—similar to bleeding during brushing. Bleeding should not deter you from brushing or scaling; rather, thorough brushing and scaling are essential to eliminate inflammation. Once inflammation is controlled or resolved, bleeding will decrease or cease.Additionally, the presence of abundant saliva and water spray from the scaling instrument may create the appearance of heavy bleeding, though actual bleeding volume is generally minimal.
3. Sandblasting: This involves using a special salt mixture with high-pressure water for deeper cleaning, providing more noticeable stain removal. Patients with minimal staining may not require sandblasting; a single ultrasonic cleaning may suffice.
4. Polishing: Post-cleaning polishing is akin to waxing a car after washing.Ultrasonic scaling leaves microscopic scratches on the tooth surface, creating slight roughness that can trap stains and tartar. Polishing smooths the surface, making teeth brighter and reducing plaque, stain, and tartar buildup. It also helps alleviate post-scaling tooth sensitivity.
This concludes the four-step teeth cleaning process: disinfection, scaling, air polishing, and final polishing to achieve smoother, whiter teeth. After these steps, patients will notice their teeth look completely renewed, radiating a bright, white glow that boosts confidence.