Dental Cleaning
Dental cavities and gum diseases are primarily caused by dental plaque — a colorless mass of harmful bacteria that grows on teeth when food interacts with bacteria normally present in the mouth. Dental plaque that has hardened is called tartar/calculus (pale yellow or brown in color) and is difficult to remove.
How We Do It
At Orocare Dental Clinic, Dr.Shashidhar performs both regular cleaning (prophylaxis) and deep cleaning in a thorough manner and yet with the least amount of pain and discomfort for the patient.
- Lasers are used to remove plaque and tartar. The use of lasers for performing cleanings presents several advantage over other deep cleaning methods:
- Less bleeding
- Less swelling
- Reduced discomfort
- Sterilization of the area
- Fine hand tools (e.g., scalers) are used to remove smaller deposits and smooth tooth surfaces.
More about Dental Cleaning
- Regular cleaning(or prophylaxis):
The term prophylaxis literally means “preventive treatment of a disease”. Hence, regular cleaning focuses on the tooth surfaces above the gum line and involves:- Removing buildup of plaque and tartar which if not cleaned may lead to gum disease
- Polishing teeth to make them shiny and smooth
- Applying topical fluoride to help strengthen teeth surfaces weakened by acids from bacteria in plaque and tartar In general, a routine cleaning is recommended every 6 months.
- Deep Cleaning:
If gum disease has already appeared, periodontal treatment is needed which involves deep cleaning for removing bacteria (plaque and tartar/calculus) via a procedure called scaling and root planing (cleaning of the roots' surfaces). In other words, during a deep cleaning your dentist will take the bacteria off of the teeth roots and also clean the inside of the gum area touching the root. Antimicrobials may also be applied below the gum line to kill bacteria.
Dental cleaning is done using various devices:
- Ultrasonic cleaners use small vibrations to loosen larger pieces of tartar. They are not sharp instruments and at the most cause some strong tickling sensations.
- Lasers are used to remove plaque and tartar. Lasers typically cause less bleeding, swelling and discomfort than other deep cleaning methods. Will also sterilize the area.
- Fine hand tools (e.g., scalers) are used to remove smaller deposits and smoothens tooth surfaces.
Are Cleanings Painful?
Most patients find regular cleanings to be painless and causing little discomfort. However, deep cleanings may cause some pain and this may not entirely be the fault of a rough dentist. Other precipitating factors for the pain could be: exposed dentine and/or sore gum tissues. Dr.Shashidhar is a gentle dentist and will use lasers to minimize the pain and reduce dental anxiety.