Dental hygiene treatment includes professionally cleaning the teeth for the patient. This is usually called scaling and polishing. However, perhaps our most important role is showing the patient the best way to keep the teeth free of plaque.The dentist also plays an important role in treating gum disease.

Dental Cleanings

Routine dental cleanings are important to maintaining good oral hygiene. Professional cleaning can remove mineralized plaque that may develop even with careful brushing and flossing, particularly in areas that are difficult to reach. A cleaning is recommended once every six months.

How it's done

You can expect your dental cleaning to last between 30 minutes and an hour. Typically, a trained professional will do the cleaning. Most people find that dental cleanings are painless, and do not cause any discomfort.

The second step is polishing to remove any final plaque and buff the teeth. Polishers generally have several different sized heads to clean hard to reach places.

With children, the final step is the application of fluoride to their teeth. This helps harden the outer layers of enamel in children's newly erupted teeth.