There are different kinds of dental procedures available in the office which is done by your dentist and each of this procedure is done to attain a certain goal. These treatments can either be restorative or preventive. Restorative dental procedures are therapeutic and corrective so they are performed to treat all dental issues; preventive dental procedures, on the other hand, are performed to avoid the further effects of oral diseases to one’s mouth. One example of a preventive dental procedure is teeth cleaning or also called dental cleaning, dental scaling or oral prophylaxis. This dental procedure involves cleaning the surface of the teeth removing hardened dental plaque.

Here’s what you can expect when you come in for your dental cleaning:

Patients are always recommended to visit their dentists or dental hygienists for their routine cleaning for at least twice a year. But there are cases which your dentist will ask you to visit every week, or by three to four months – this only applies to those who have a bad condition of gum disease. Buildup at the subgingival space is not always cleaned and maintained properly with brushing and flossing. Your dentist will use a scaler to scrape your gum’s deeper areas. The time it will take for a teeth cleaning procedure always depends on the condition of your oral health. But usually, teeth cleaning can run up for about 15 to 30 minutes (scaling included through all the teeth). If the patient’s condition is somewhat severe, more thorough scaling is required by the dentist. For these cases, teeth cleaning procedures can run up to an hour or two, especially where there is a heavy staining of the teeth. During the teeth cleaning procedure, your dentist will start scaling through the subgingival space and may touch or cut some damaged tissues. Bleeding may occur and this should be normal, so do not be alarmed. The pain should be gone after a while, usually as soon as the cleaning procedure is completed or a few hours after your appointment. If a normal teeth cleaning is still not enough to restore your teeth and gums back to it’s original form, more invasive procedures will be suggested by your dentist. Deep cleaning involves a more invasive access into the gums, where much of tartar and plaque have collected and hardened. When your tooth roots and bone are affected, a surgical procedure involving some gum reduction may be required so that your dentist can plane the roots. To remove a hardened plaque in the root of your tooth, more gums will be reduced so that the infected area can be thoroughly cleaned.