What to Expect During a Dental Cleaning

Dental cleanings help prevent or reverse many oral conditions commonly seen in the United States. They are a small part of an overall preventative care plan that dentists recommend everyone receive at least twice a year. However, for various reasons, many may have never undergone a dental cleaning or avoided one for many years. Regardless, knowing what to expect can help you better prepare your mind and schedule for your upcoming appointment.

Imaging

For patients who are new to our practice, have never undergone a dental cleaning, or it has been a few years since their last visit, we will utilize advanced X-ray technology for imaging. This is a quick and safe process, possibly the quickest in the entire appointment.

The dental assistant will provide a lead apron and a bitewing. The lead apron will go over the shoulders, covering the chest and stomach for safety. A bitewing is a small appliance comprising of plastic materials that go in the mouth. Patients will bite down on it as the dental assistant takes images from various angles.

Physical examination

Next, patients will meet the dentist to review the X-ray findings before performing a physical examination, checking for abnormalities that the machine did not pick up. For example, the machine may show areas of shading in the mouth without providing a proper diagnosis. The dentist will need to determine if it is decay, disease, or an infection.

Note that physical examinations are not painful. They involve small dental tools, such as a dental probe and a mirror, to test different tissues. This process can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes to complete. The dentist will also determine if the patient's oral hygiene routines or products need improvement and if additional preventative or corrective services are needed.

Dental cleaning

There are two types of dental cleanings: traditional and deep. Patients receive a traditional cleaning twice a year. It involves the dental hygienist removing plaque and tartar (hardened plaque) from all surfaces above the gum line. At the dentist's recommendation or the patient's request, they may also perform a fluoride treatment to help strengthen the enamel. Typically, this is a painless process, though patients may feel slight sensitivity in the hours following the appointment.

Deep cleanings combat gum disease. Therefore, they are typically scheduled as a separate appointment from the biannual checkup. Scaling and root planing are also procedures that involve the dental hygienist cleaning below the gum line and scraping plaque and tartar from on and around the tooth roots. Considering the nature of the procedure, an anesthetic or numbing agent may be necessary to prevent discomfort. Further, the dentist may prescribe an antibiotic to rid the remaining infection from the gum tissue.