So you already know that you should visit your dentist at least every six months. Unless advised otherwise. Usually by the time you visit him you are in the need of your dental cleaning. But, what exactly is a dental cleaning? What does your dentist do in your mouth? Aren’t you curious to find out? If so, take a read!
Your dentist uses special equipment to clean your teeth and soft tissues (gingiva).
You can find them below, listed and explained.
Ultrasound
Used at the beginning of the process of dental cleaning, causing vibrations to break dental calculus. Simultaneously, sprays water to rinse the area and to maintain the temperature (with the vibrations from the ultrasound, the temperature increases). The device typically emits a high-frequency sound. This may seem stronger than it actually is because the sound can be enhanced in your head, just like when you use an electric toothbrush.
Hand Tools
Once the larger pieces of calculus are removed, the dentist will use hand tools (called scalers) to remove smaller amounts that remained on your teeth. These tools are curved in order to match the curves of the teeth.
Polishing
The final step is polishing the teeth for further smoothing. Polishing is done using a slow-speed handpiece with a soft brush onto which a special abrasive toothpaste is placed, this process is similar to the established brushing.
Athina Tsiorva