Dental cleaning and Fluoride Treatment
What happens during a dental cleaning?
During the cleaning, your dental professional will use special tools to remove tartar. This is called scaling. After your teeth are scaled, they may be polished. In most cases, a gritty paste is used for this. It helps to remove any surface stains on your teeth. The final step is flossing. Your dental professional will use floss to make sure the areas between your teeth are clean.
Sometimes, a standard cleaning isn’t enough. If bacteria invades below your gumline, you’ll need a deep dental cleaning to restore your gums to health. Deep dental cleaning is also called Scaling and Rootplaning or SRP. It’s similar to how a hygienist typically cleans your teeth but focuses on the outer surface of the roots and below your gum line. This special cleaning is needed when tartar buildup has caused infection of the gums. Pockets form, a widening of the gumline that has pulled away from the tooth. Loss of this connective tissue can lead to bone loss and, eventually, tooth loss.
Deep dental cleaning will control the infection and promote healing. As you may know, preventing infection and inflammation anywhere in your body—including your gums—is important to heart and general overall health and may help you live longer.
Tooth sensitivity is very common and is often triggered by hot or cold beverages and foods, as well as sweets. Some people also notice sensitivity from brushing or flossing. It is often treated with fluoride treatments that can help strengthen the enamel and decrease your sensitivity. Also, ask your dentist or hygienist about toothpaste made especially for sensitive teeth and tips for reducing general sensitivity.
