More often than not, dental care costs are not what keeps people from getting professional teeth cleaning procedure or any preventive oral treatments, but it’s the fear of experiencing pain from it. However, people don’t realize that the more they delay getting professional dental cleaning, the more they will suffer from pain caused by untreated dental problems.
Once you visit a dental clinic near you, it is only normal to get anxious over how the process will work, especially if it’s your first time visiting a dentist. Most patients who schedule teeth cleanings are reported to have a hard time relaxing because they do not know what and how it feels like during the actual procedure. Between the occasional discomfort and strange noises of some dental appliances, the patient will be nervous.
However, if you take the time to know and understand what usually happens during teeth cleanings in a typical Toronto dental clinic, you will convince yourself not to worry about the process.
Does Dental Cleaning Hurt?
When getting a tooth cleaning, it is the most common question that most patients ask. While most patients experience minimal discomfort and pain when having their teeth cleaned, some factors can make professional teeth-cleaning procedure more painful:
- Dental sensitivity due to gum disease, tooth decay or inflammation
- Long intervals of time between cleanings
- Jaw pain due to temporomandibular disorders
When you experience intolerable pain, you should communicate with the hygienist immediately. In some cases, the hygienist will allow you to take a break or, if possible, try a different method to lessen your pain.
Professional Teeth Cleaning Procedures
A tooth cleaning performed by a dental hygienist or other dental professional usually takes 30 to 60 minutes to make sure the gums and teeth are well cleaned. However, the exact cleaning procedures applied may vary from the dental office to the dental office. Most dental hygienists follow a similar common routine, like the following:
Teeth and gum examination
Before starting the dental cleaning procedure, your hygienist will use a small concave mirror to check your mouth for any signs of dental problems, such as plaque, tartar buildup, inflamed gums, or dark spots on your teeth. It helps the hygienist know what areas to focus on during the cleaning process. If more serious dental issues are found, such as cavities or gum disease, your hygienist may inform the dentist to examine your teeth and mouth more thoroughly.
Scaling
With the aid of a small hooked tool called a scaler, your hygienist will remove any plaque, and tartar traces from your teeth surface, near the gum line and in between your teeth. Depending on how much plaque buildup is present, either a manual or ultrasonic scaler is used. A manual scaler feels like scraping the teeth, while the ultrasonic scaler feels like a gentle vibration and uses water to remove large deposits.
Brushing
Although you already brushed your teeth, your hygienist will still brush them using an electric toothbrush for deeper cleaning. It follows after your hygienist scrapes the plaque and tartar from your teeth. You will also hear strange noises during the brushing because the toothbrush is high-powered enough to remove all plaque and tartar traces that might have been left behind.
Polishing and flossing
Next to the professional teeth cleaning procedures are polishing and flossing. The hygienist will polish your teeth, and remove any stains using a handheld electric tool with a rubber prophy cup attached and a prophylaxis paste. You will feel a slow grinding motion on your teeth during this step. Then, your hygienist will floss your teeth to remove any remaining plaque and toothpaste.
Fluoride
Some dental offices also include fluoride treatment in the dental cleaning procedure. Usually, you can choose what flavour of fluoride gel you like. This gel will be placed inside a mouthpiece that you must wear for a few minutes.
Final Thoughts: Why Do I Need to Get My Teeth Clean by a Professional Dentist?
You need to get professional teeth cleaning procedure to get rid of bacteria, infections and any food residue that cannot be removed with simple brushing at home. In most cases, all those are represented by plaque and tartar build-up. When you neglect proper oral hygiene and don’t get a professional dental cleaning, you allow plaque to build up on your teeth. Besides, without proper cleaning, plaque may result in other severe oral issues including, weak teeth, tooth decay, gum diseases, receding gums, and many more. Also, when plaque is left on for too long, it usually results in tartar. When that tartar builds up, you can’t remove it with only brushing. You need to get through an oral medical intervention to remove it.
If you are looking for a dental office in Toronto to get your teeth cleaned, you may consider visiting Osmin Denture. You may call us at 647-294-3310 to book your appointment.
