Teeth Cleaning

Dental Hygienist In Newmarket

Dental cleaning (also known as Scaling) is a preventative procedure that aims to maintain the health of your gums.  Gum disease starts by allowing bacteria to accumulate on your teeth and at the gumline and remain there for prolonged periods.  These bacterial accumulations are referred to as “Dental Plaque”.  Over time, if not promptly removed from the tooth surfaces, dental plaque absorbs minerals from the saliva and calcifies into a hard substance called Calculus.  Calculus can form above the gum line but also extend below it, making it difficult to see and remove.  Once formed, calculus is tenacious and hard like stone and cannot be removed with floss or a toothbrush.  It requires professional intervention to remove it.

In some cases, scaling may require anesthetic administration to allow the hygienist to get deeper under the gumline to remove Calculus that built up under the gumline while keeping you comfortable.  It is important to follow the recommended scaling frequency prescribed to you by the dentist or the dental hygienist to prevent gum disease.  The dentist and/or hygienist will use their experience and expertise to assess your gum health based on many variables such as the quality of dental home care, diet, other risk factors (e.g. smoking, diabetes, acid reflux, dry mouth, etc.) and propose an individualized frequency for your scaling appointments.