Dental Scaling and Polishing Teeth

What is a Scale and Polish?

A “scale and polish” will normally consist of  professional cleaning of the teeth to remove plaque and hardened dental calculus ( tartar) and advice and guidance on how to prevent or treat any gum disease you may have.

What is Dental Plaque?

Plaque is a film containing bacteria that builds up on the teeth. It may pick up minerals from your saliva and harden into calculus/tartar.

The trouble with plaque is that the bacteria in it can produce toxins that cause gum inflammation and can lead to periodontal disease – initially gum and tooth supporting bone shrinks, teeth may become loose and eventually develop abscesses and have to be removed.

Plaque bacteria also change sugars in food and drink into acid that cause dental decay. Reducing plaque with good oral hygiene helps to prevent decay, but controlling the sugar content of your diet is the main factor in stopping decay. Check for hidden sugars in foods and drinks you’ll be surprised.

How will my teeth be scaled and polished?

Dependent upon the amount of plaque and tartar build up and how tenacious it adheres to your teeth we may use a combination of an ultrasonic scaler, which vibrates and washes in a gentle manner at high frequency  to remove the deposits, and hand scalers to do the fine detail cleaning. The teeth would then be polished with a dental polishing brush handpiece.

Scaling and polishing will remove a lot of dental staining but some of the more resistant stains especially caffeine and tanins, and smoking stains may benefit from Profijet Polishing.

 

I know how to clean my teeth. Why do I need advice?

We’re not here to belittle you or pass judgement on you. We just want to help you keep your teeth and mouth healthy and pain-free.

Everybody’s teeth and mouth are different.

To paraphrase Goldilocks Some are crowded, some are spaced and some are well aligned.

We all have different gaps and spaces even within the same mouth. For most people toothbrushes alone will not clean adequately between the teeth to prevent problems.

We like to work with you to help customize your cleaning techniques for your teeth arrangement, and then help coach you in how to do it as effectively as you can to stay healthy.

 

Is it that important?

In short – Yes.

Good home care of your teeth and gums and a regular professional cleaning will give you the best possible chance of avoiding dental problems.

If you want help in looking after your gum health please contact us, we’ll be happy to help.