A man smiles as his dentist begins his teeth cleaning in Webster, TXMany people fear going to the dentist, especially children and those who have had a bad experience in the past. But, at Lovett Dental Webster, it is important to all of us that you have a relaxed and comfortable experience during your visits. Part of relaxing in the dental chair comes from knowing what happens during a teeth cleaning. Understanding the process enables you to enjoy the clean, fresh results.

Six Steps to Sparkling Clean Teeth

Your dental hygienist performs most teeth cleaning at Lovett Dental Webster. But this cleaning starts with a physical exam of your mouth, teeth, gums, and other parts of your mouth. They first check for signs of gum disease or other problems using a small mirror. When they find problems, the hygienist usually consults the dentist to ensure it is safe to proceed with the teeth cleaning.

This oral exam is the first of six steps in typical teeth cleaning. Together, teeth cleaning and dental exams tell the dentist and dental hygienist a lot about your oral health. These twice-yearly events keep your teeth and gums healthy, too. When you leave the dentist’s office after your six-month visit, you either follow-up on treatment needs or receive a clean bill of oral health until your next six-month checkup.

Six steps to consistent oral health include:

Plaque and tartar removal involves the use of a scaler to scrape around your gum line and between your teeth. This is the time in your teeth cleaning when you hear a scraping noise. But have no fear, as your dental hygienist is highly experienced in performing this task. They do not damage your teeth, as you could if trying this at home.

The hard deposits scraped during scaling are those formed by plaque left on your teeth. This plaque hardens into tartar, a calcified deposit. The way to reduce how much scaling you need in the dentist’s office is to perform better daily oral hygiene at home.

Teeth Cleaning with a Gritty Toothpaste

Once scaling removes all of the tartar from your teeth, your hygienist uses a gritty toothpaste to brush your teeth. But this brushing is not like one you perform at home. Your dental hygienist uses a high-powered electric brush. The sound of this scares some people, but the brush does not cause discomfort or pain.

The toothpaste used for this brushing tastes great, although it has a slight grittiness to it to deeply clean your tooth surfaces. Sometimes you can choose between flavors like mint or bubble gum. But whichever flavor is used, your teeth feel remarkably clean and polished.

Professional Flossing, Rinsing, and Fluoride Treatment

As your dental hygienist flosses your teeth, he or she gets deep between teeth. The hygienist reaches areas you likely struggle to floss properly. They also find problem areas, such as where you easily bleed at your gums. The process removes leftover toothpaste and debris from your cleaning, too.

When your dental hygienist completes all of the above steps, you rinse your mouth. Sometimes the rinse contains fluoride, or you use water. Fluoride treatment after your rinse protects your teeth and helps you fight cavities until your next teeth cleaning and dental exam. For the fluoride treatment, you bite down into a mouthpiece filled with a gel or have the fluoride painted on your teeth with a tiny brush.

Learn More About Teeth Cleaning at Lovett Dental Webster

At Lovett Dental Webster, we want you to love your smile. That love starts with having twice-yearly dental exams and teeth cleanings to remove tartar and maintain your best oral health. Besides these important teeth cleaning and dental exams, our dentists also provide a range of dental services, including:

Schedule your next teeth cleaning by contacting Lovett Dental at 832-932-5584. Through twice-yearly dental visits and teeth cleanings, we will help you love your smile, too.