Process of Dental Cleaning

Dental cleaning is a key to good health. Dental cleaning is a process in which the teeth and gums are cleaned to clear up food particles. These particles, when they get stuck in the gaps between teeth or between the gums and teeth, can solidify into plaque and eventually rot your teeth. Dental cleanings can also remove stains that have built up on your teeth.

Dental Cleaning

• Proper brushing twice a day using the right kind of brush and proper technique is still the first step to a dental cleaning process. This is necessary and often sufficient to keep the teeth clean and healthy. A toothpaste that has baking soda in it helps keep the teeth clean. The use of salt is a centuries-old method for keeping the teeth clean. Crystal salt has to be kept dissolved in a glass of water. After brushing your teeth in the morning, you should gargle using this saltwater solution--it has antiseptic properties. Hydrogen peroxide is also a good solution for cleaning teeth, but it should not be swallowed. Flossing is also a method of dental cleaning. This has to be done regularly on the dentist's advice.

Annual Cleaning

• Even if you are able to brush your own teeth and remove much of the plaque, an annual cleaning at your dentist's office is usually advisable. This cleaning may be performed by a dentist or dental hygienist. The cleaning usually lasts for between 30 and 60 minutes. The hygienist will offer you a choice of toothpaste flavors. He will then use a special electric toothbrush to thoroughly brush and polish your teeth. This cleaning may also be accompanied by a visual exam, and the use of a metal dental instrument with a pick on the end, to remove plaque between teeth and at the gum line. The process of an annual dental cleaning is painless in most cases, although some people report that the toothpaste does not taste pleasant or that the sensation of having their teeth polished is mildly uncomfortable.

Advanced Dental Cleaning

• If a basic dental cleaning won't work, a more advanced dental cleaning process may be necessary. This type of dental deep cleaning cleaning is performed by a dentist and is also called dental planing, root planing and deep teeth cleaning. The chief purpose is to prevent gum disease.

  In a professional dental cleaning process, the dentist uses a scientifically designed instrument that has a wick-like ending. There are two methods of performing a dental cleaning. One is a standard teeth cleaning process. It plucks out deposits of plaque and tartar, usually under anesthesia. This is performed for deposits that are visible on the surface. An X-ray that shows any cavity in the teeth or gums is taken first. This is to ensure that the cleaning, which can cause abrasions when done on cavities, is avoided in these places. The cleaning is done in a detailed method, whereby each tooth is cleaned using this instrument. Polishing is done next. This is the final process of this kind of cleaning.

Other Methods

• Another method of deep cleaning employs the use of a laser to uproot substances that are not visible on the surface of the gums, but that are usually stuck deep into the gumline. Here too, the process is done while you are under anesthesia. Instead of using the instrument, the dentist uses a laser. It destroys the deposits of tartar, which are later flushed out.