Good oral hygiene and healthy dental habits start with routine teeth cleaning. During a teeth cleaning, your dental hygienist will polish up your teeth in preparation for the dentist to evaluate their overall condition and diagnose any areas of concern.
Keeping up with regularly scheduled teeth cleanings, which should mark your calendar every six months, is a great way to ensure a good report every time. Here, we take you through the basic expectations of the dental cleaning experience and follow it up with some fun facts about what to anticipate during a Crown Dental cleaning.
Dental Cleaning — The Crown Dental Difference
We’re all about giving our clients the royal treatment, no matter the reason for your visit. When it comes to a dental cleaning at Crown Dental, our goal is to make you as comfortable as possible. We get that many people feel squeamish about even routine dental cleanings and admit that the scraping sound of the scaler does little to help put anyone at ease.
Fortunately, Nancy is a source of calm — and conversation! Of course, we know it’s tough to chat during a cleaning so you are welcome to tune out with your trusty earbuds or take a trip — metaphorically speaking. An avid traveler, Nancy displays an illustrated world map above the dental chair, giving our patients the opportunity to imagine new destinations for their bucket list.
Speaking of opportunities, if you find yourself feeling overworked or exhausted, transform your dental cleaning into a cat nap! Get cozy, close your eyes, and enjoy a break from the multi-tasking demands of your day.
Whatever you need to feel at home and at ease, our team is determined to deliver.
What to Expect During a Dental Cleaning
At the start of a teeth cleaning appointment, your dental hygienist might start by taking x-rays of your teeth. The dentist will check these films for signs of cavities, injuries, or other areas of concern.
After that, you’ll get cozy in the dental chair while the dental hygienist examines your mouth, teeth, and gums. Typically, you’ll see her wielding a tiny mirror to inspect any hard to reach areas. What she is looking for are areas of inflammation, which might be diagnosed by your dentist as gingivitis.
Next, it’s time to remove plaque and tartar using a tool called a scaler. This instrument is able to evacuate tartar from the gum line and from the tight spaces between your teeth. If you’re not a fan of the scraping sound that accompanies the scaler, you might commit to better brushing and flossing habits as these can seriously cut down on plaque, keeping it from hardening into tartar, which must be professionally removed.
Once finished with the scaler, your dental hygienist will clean your teeth using an electric toothbrush and gritty toothpaste, which helps polish up the surface of your teeth for a super clean shine.
Finally, it’s time to floss. If you’re a flossing flunkie, this part of your teeth cleaning might be a tad embarrassing. But, even those of us who floss twice a day will be impressed by the flossing skills of a dental hygienist. This step of the process can also help sweep away any of the gritty toothpaste that might have lodged between your teeth.
Whatever is left will be rinsed away with a quick swish and gargle of water.
Unless the hygienist encounters an issue or area of concern, there isn’t much more to a teeth cleaning. The dentist will come in and review the work your dental hygienist has done and discuss any need for additional appointments before your next cleaning.
Clean up your act and Contact Crown Dental today to schedule your next dental cleaning!