Many of us often ignore dental hygiene, and we don’t really care before something goes terribly wrong. But prevention is the best way to avoid disasters.
So we should be more aware of this issue and get our teeth cleaned by professionals once in a while.
Teeth cleaning are designed to remove plaque, tartar, stains, or any other buildup. Even people who maintain an excellent oral hygiene routine can suffer from these problems.
And if you don’t get rid of this, the situation can go awry in the future.
As dental cleaning ensures that you have healthy gum and teeth so anyone can consult a professional regarding this. So if you plan to get this procedure done, you may ask “how long does teeth cleaning take?”
Therefore, let’s dive into the detailed answer to this question and everything related to it.
How long does teeth cleaning take?
A professional dental hygienist or dentist does teeth cleaning, and this procedure is known as prophylaxis. When the professional remove tartar and plaque buildups from your teeth, you can prevent cavities, gum bleeding, or any other awful dental conditions.
The procedure of dental cleaning is followed by a few specific steps and may take 30 minutes or an hour, depending on your condition. Your dentist will inspect your gums carefully and then look out for cavities.
Then the cleaning process will be started.
After the cleanup, your teeth will look whiter and shine like a new penny! Moreover, you will have a fresher breath as the plaques are gone. And if you can maintain this condition, you will successfully avoid any periodontal diseases.
However, this process will end quickly if you have minimum teeth problems. And so, daily oral care is important if you want to avoid this situation.
But daily brushing and flossing are not enough; hence you need to visit your dentist for checkups.
If you don’t suffer from any severe teeth problem and take good care of them, you can visit a professional twice a year. And while doing that, you should also get checked for signs of oral cancers for a better lifestyle.
What happens during teeth cleaning?
Well, the cleaning process may vary depending on your doctor or your condition. But every dentist goes through a standard procedure that I am going to mention below.
Inspection
Before starting your dental cleaning session, a professional will look for any signs of gum or teeth problems. They will use a small concave mirror to make sure that your teeth are suitable for cleaning or not.
This step might include services such as:
- Screening for signs of oral cancer
- Plaque and tartar buildups and its intensity
- Examine your chewing, swallowing, and biting pattern
- X-rays to examine the signs of teeth decay and gum damage.
- Mainly a hygienist examines the mouth and informs the dentist if any severe problem is visible.
Scaling
Now it’s time for scaling and get rid of the plaques or tarter. The hygienist will use a hook-shaped scaler to scrape the buildups. But if anyone has severe problems, they will use an ultrasonic scaler to do the job.
The manual scaler feels like scraping, but the ultrasonic one is like soft vibrations, and buildups are removed by spraying water.
Polishing
At this step, the professional will apply a special prophylaxis paste to complete the session. After a while, they will floss your teeth to remove any remaining plaque and paste.
Following that, you will be offered to attach a mouthpiece with fluoride gel on your teeth. And after a minute or so, your job is done!
Does getting your teeth cleaned hurt?
I know that most of us don’t have many pleasant memories in the dentist’s office. And if you have got your tooth extracted, you may have some painful memories, which can be a little intimidating sometimes.
However, the teeth cleaning procedure doesn’t hurt at all. But if you have conditions like tooth decay, cavity, or gum problems, you may feel sensitivity or discomfort.
Generally, dentists inspect your mouth before starting the cleanup session, and they will give you anesthetics to make it easier. But it’s better to inform them if you have a certain problem to have a better experience.
What are the side effects of teeth cleaning?
Some temporary side effects may occur after getting your teeth cleaned. Those consequences are:
- Sensitivity
- Swollen and sore gums
- Bleeding
To avoid these discomforts, maintain a proper oral care routine before and after going to the dentist’s office. Additionally, follow the professional’s specific direction, such as using the prescribed toothpaste, antimicrobial mouthwash.
Furthermore, you can rinse your mouth with warm salt water to maintain the best oral condition.
How many months before I get my teeth cleaned?
According to popular belief, you need to check your teeth every six months. But this time frame may vary from people to people.
If you daily clean your teeth properly, twice a year will be enough.
So what will happen if you will not visit your dentist regularly? Let’s take a look at that, and trust me, the answer isn’t pretty!
- Tooth decay
- Cavity
- Bad breathe
- Gum disease
- Intense plaque buildup
- Tooth loss
- Abscess
- Oral infections
- Oral cancer
- Teeth stains
What to avoid after teeth cleaning?
If you have just got your teeth deep-cleaned, you should avoid some food items for a while to get the best results. Those foods are:
- Foods that easily get stuck to your teeth like popcorn, chocolate, etc.
- Acidic and citrus foods such as pickled, orange, or red wine.
- Solid and chewy foods like burgers, steak, meatloaf, and fried chicken
It would be better if you stick to foods like soft rice, soup, mashed potato, or bananas for a while.
In conclusion
There are tons of benefits of getting your teeth cleaned regularly. If you want to avoid the hassle of receiving exhaustive treatments for severe teeth problems, you need to take measures to prevent that situation.
So maintain a healthy diet, brush, and floss your teeth every day for a sound lifestyle.
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