Teeth cleaning at the dentist

Teeth Cleaning: Definition and Overview

Professional teeth cleaning is a preventive procedure performed by dentists to maintain optimal oral health.

During a professional cleaning procedure, the dentist aims to remove plaque and tartar that have accumulated on the teeth to protect them from cavities and other dental and gum problems.

Although brushing your teeth at home is a daily routine, every person still needs a deeper and more thorough cleaning that only a dentist can provide. This is because brushing alone is not enough to properly remove plaque from your teeth.

Who needs professional teeth cleaning and what to expect

In our dental clinic in Tbilisi, any dentist always recommends that you have your teeth professionally cleaned at least once every six months for preventive purposes. If the patient has existing oral problems, cleaning should be done more often. The word “prophylaxis” comes from the Greek word for “prevention”.

Plaque can easily build up on tooth surfaces even when a person brushes their teeth carefully and regularly. A daily brushing routine can slow down the build-up of plaque, but it cannot completely prevent it.

Plaque is a soft, sticky layer that is saturated with bacteria. The long-term accumulation of plaque can easily lead to cavities and, ultimately, tooth decay.

On the other hand, tartar is a hard buildup of calcium that builds up over time, much like limescale in a kettle or on a water pipe. In most cases, it is the same color as your teeth, making it difficult to see, although in some cases, it is brown or black.

If tartar is not removed from the tooth surface over a long period of time, it becomes the perfect environment for bacteria to multiply and grow.

With professional dental cleaning, the surface of the tooth remains clean and smooth, making it difficult for bacteria to survive on it.

The purpose of professional teeth cleaning:

• Preventing caries
• Oral health
• Prevention of periodontal disease
• Removing excess plaque from tooth surfaces
• Cleaning teeth from pigment stains
• Preparing teeth for other procedures, such as: teeth whitening , teeth filling, etc.

What does teeth cleaning include?

Professional teeth cleaning can be performed by a dentist or dental hygienist. The procedure includes:

Tooth scaling – removal of plaque and pigmentation using a special tool.

Tooth polishing – After scaling, polishing is performed, resulting in a smooth and shiny surface for the teeth.

The dentist will use various gentle instruments to carefully remove plaque from the teeth:

Ultrasonic instruments – These are instruments that use vibrations to break up large stones and remove them from the tooth surface. At the same time, it sprays a cool stream of water to wash away small debris.

Scalers or curettes – These are smaller hand tools that dentists use to manually remove small stones. They are very effective at removing plaque.

A polisher is a hand-held tool with soft rubber tips and bristles of various sizes and shapes that moves slowly to polish the surface of the tooth.

Fluoridation – Dentists can also use fluoride during teeth cleaning. Available in foam or gel form, fluoride helps strengthen teeth to counteract the negative effects of plaque and tartar on them. When using fluoride, patients are advised not to eat, drink, or rinse their mouths for at least 30 minutes after application.

Possible complications and risks

The process of professional teeth cleaning is painless and generally comfortable.

Teeth should be cleaned thoroughly and carefully. If brushing is done too vigorously or incorrectly, there is a risk of damaging the gums, which makes them more vulnerable to infection. Damaged gums also cause pain, gingivitis (swelling and inflammation), and bleeding gums. There is also a risk of damage to the tooth enamel.

Richter’s clinic is a place where the risk of complications is minimized or completely absent. The dentists of our clinic take great responsibility for the health of each patient, which is reflected in their high professional education and the introduction of new technological achievements.