How to Polish a Tooth

There are many ways to polish a tooth, depending on what was done to the tooth to require the need for it to be polished. A dentist should be the only one polishing a tooth for any reason. The most common reason for a dentist to polish a tooth is due to a chip, nick, scratch or filling that is too high in the bite.

Instructions

• 1

  Make an appointment with the family dentist, if a tooth gets chipped, or all of a sudden has a sharpness to it, that wasn't noticed previously. It is easy for a tooth to get a tiny chip and feel like the Grand Canyon. The tongue magnifies it dramatically.

• 2

  Allow the dentist to take an x-ray of the tooth. He will inspect the chip in the tooth or the sharp edge if that is the complaint. He will also used carbon paper to check the bite and make sure a filling that is too high is not the culprit.

• 3

  Relax while the dentists polishes the tooth. Anesthetic is usually not necessary, and the only sensation is the feeling of cold from the high-speed hand piece he will use to begin polishing, usually with a fine diamond bur or drill bit.

• 4

  Remain with mouth open, while the dentist moves on to a smoother diamond bur or drill-bit. She will touch the same areas with this bur that she did with the first bur. There will be a difference to the tongue, but it will still feel rough.

• 5

  Allow the assistant to rinse, spraying the tooth well to remove remnants from the burs, spit remaining water into the cuspidor, when it is offered.

• 6

  Open wide again, and allow the dentist to begin the polishing portion of fixing the chip or rough spot, with what is called a "greenie," a green, fine polishing point. She will then change the bur to a "brownie." The brownie is the softest polishing tip and this will fine tune any remaining roughness or sharpness.