Some people find a trip to the dentist nerve wracking. If you don’t like needles or metal instruments in your mouth, this isn’t surprising. However, for most patients, dental cleaning is simple and painless. Knowing what to expect during the cleaning visit can help ease any nerves.
Here’s what happens at a dental cleaning at our office in Burnaby:
Oral exam
Dental exams are performed by a dentist whereas a dental screening can be performed by a dental hygienist. Prior to the cleaning, your dental care provider will do a physical exam of your mouth. This is performed with a mirrored instrument and is to access overall gum health, looking for signs of gingivitis or other concerns.
Teeth Cleaning
Using the same small mirror and other specialized manual equipment, your dental care provider will spend time removing plaque and tartar around the gum line and in between teeth. During this phase it is normal to hear and feel scraping on the teeth. The longer between visits, the longer this phase might take. If the build up is quite significant, then other power instruments may be used.
Polish
Once your dental care provider is happy with the build up removal step, a polishing paste is applied to the teeth with an electric polishing instrument. Due to the gritty consistency, this polish is an effective way to help remove and last pesky bits of plaque. The polish is very gentle and won’t affect your tooth enamel. In fact, your teeth will feel deliciously smooth after the polish.
Floss
Just like a home, flossing after the previous steps is important to remove any paste or plaque that might have become lodged between your teeth.
Fluoride Treatment
The final step in your cleaning process is an application of fluoride. This is a protectant for your teeth that can help fight cavities. The fluoride is a paste that is painted on your teeth prior to leaving the chair. Some offices use fluoride in a tooth tray. With the paint-on fluoride, there’s no need to spit or rinse. However, you can’t drink hot things or chew anything crunchy for at least a couple of hours.
How Often to Get a Dental Cleaning?
Cleanings are recommended every six months and we suggest x-rays taken once a year to ensure your teeth and their roots are happy and healthy.