What is Dental Cleaning?
Dental cleaning or Scaling involves the procedure of cleaning your teeth thoroughly to remove any plaque or tartar formation. Many dental problems do not appear until it has reached complicated stages. Dental cleaning helps in recognizing the dental issues at the initial stage and resolving it before it reaches the stage where it damages and affects the teeth structure.
Plaque is a thin film of bacteria that forms on teeth and gums. Plaque is formed when proper oral hygiene steps such as brushing and flossing are not followed religiously. The food debris gets stuck between the teeth and leads to bacterial formation. This leads to plaque formation which looks slimy and is also sticky. When this plaque is not cleaned well with regular oral hygiene steps then they harden into tartar which is more stubborn to be removed from the teeth and gums area. The tartar looks like a layer of hardened chalk. This slowly starts affecting the gums and teeth with infections and inflammation.
The dental cleaning procedure helps in removing this plaque and tartar formations since they cannot be removed with regular brushing and flossing.
Why Is Professional Dental Cleaning Important?
The teeth structure is very strong but on the contrary, they are equally sensitive and need constant care. Did you know that saliva can be both good and bad for oral hygiene at times? Confused? Let us tell you how it happens.
Saliva is the protective layer that invisibly protects our teeth and provides strength to teeth since it contains calcium. But the saliva can from calcium deposits on the teeth. This makes the teeth look black or brown. The calcium deposits form into tartar (also known as calculus) between the teeth which also affects the gum by giving rise to periodontal diseases.
One such gum disease that can easily form is known as pyorrhoea. In this, the gums of the teeth form into small pockets between teeth and gums. In these pockets, the tartar gets deposited. These deposits get hardened and cannot be removed from regular brushing and flossing as these tools are not very strong.
At this stage, dental cleaning comes into the picture that uses different professional in-office dental techniques to clean these tartar formations and keep the teeth safe and healthy.
Candidate for Dental Cleaning
Some of the symptoms that indicate that you need dental cleaning are:
- Bleeding gums
- Continuous bad breath
- Tenderness of gums
- Swelling of gums
- Receding gums
- Unpleasant taste in the mouth
Benefits of Dental Cleaning
Helps in Early Detection of Dental Issues – Some dental issues can be detected with symptoms such as toothache and swelling of gums. But there are dental issues that cannot be detected until they are seen through x-rays and scans. Some will show early symptoms but we ignore them with negligence that makes the dental issue grow silently. Regular dental cleanings will help the dentist to detect any underlying issue with their expertise and experience.
Saves Time and Money – Dental cleanings save your time and also a lot of money since these regular sessions keep a tab on your oral hygiene and they avoid any further dental issues that can happen due to ignorance of dental cleanings. Having a regular dental cleaning session is muchly affordable than the dental treatment that may sometimes cost you a fortune due to the number of procedures, pieces of equipment, time and expenses involved in it.
Focuses on Overall Wellbeing – Many people think it is a myth that dental health is related to overall health. But the fact is, it is true. Did you know that ignored dental issues can lead to the severity and cause heart issues? Other health issues such as migraine and insomnia could be due to bad oral health. Oral cancer can also be detected during dental cleanings that can never be known with the regular dental routine at home. Regular dental cleaning and check-up are very important even for pregnant women since bad oral health can affect the fetus too. All these examples tell that dental cleanings not only focus on oral care but also on overall well-being.
Healthy and Confident Smile – Each visit for dental cleanings will help you in knowing your dental health status and also gives additional knowledge on how to care for and protect your teeth with proper oral hygiene. With good oral health, a confident and beautiful smile emerges that enhances your overall appearance too.
The procedure of Dental Cleaning in Delhi
Dental Examination – A dental practitioner does a thorough examination of every nook and corner of the teeth structure with a small mirror to check for any gum or tooth infections.
Removal of Tartar and Plaque – The dentist removes the plaque and tartar with a scraping tool called a scaler. Most of the plaque and tartar are found to be surrounding the gum line.
Flossing – After the removal of tartar and plaque, the dentist helps in flossing to take out the remaining particles between the teeth after the scraping process.
Rinsing – After flossing, thorough rinsing is done to ensure that any minute particles in any corner of the teeth structure are completely flushed out with rinsing so that all impurities are removed.
Fluoride Treatment – This treatment involves applying fluoride gel on the teeth that act as a protective layer against any cavities formation for a few months. It is a flavored gel that is applied with a mouthpiece that is left on your for a minute or so. Then the mouthpiece is removed and the gel is absorbed well by the teeth and protects the teeth from cavities.
Along with maintaining good oral hygiene, it is also very important to regularly visit your dental practitioner for dental cleanings. Once in 6 months, ensure to take a dental cleaning appointment to keep your smile healthier and happier.
