Tartar is an Enemy of Oral Health

I have been asked this question a lot,

‘Why are my teeth feeling pain/sensitivity after a simple tooth cleaning’

 

Dentists do not damage teeth when you get your teeth cleaned.

This is a common misconception that patients feel their mouths have been damaged by this procedure.

I totally understand that you went to the dentist with no pain and left with sore teeth for days afterward.

The reason for this is:

  1. You had a lot of tartar build-up, although it harms your teeth/surrounding structures over the years, it does insulate teeth against cold/heat. So as it damages your gums and surrounding tissues, it also covers the tooth surface, hence when we take this tartar away, the teeth become sensitive for a few days. Therefore, the sensitivity is not directly due to scaling, but because this tartar that insulated the tooth has been removed (as must be done)
  2.  If you haven’t visited the dentist is many years, you may have inflamed/ bleeding gums.

These may become painful as a reaction to cleaning.

With warm salty rinses, this will settle down in a few days.

Do not live with Tartar!