You may see your dental hygienist every six months for a professional dental cleaning, but do you know what they're actually doing in there? We're breaking down the ways that a professional dental cleaning can be accomplished. You may not have even known some of these techniques exist!
Hand Scaling
Hand scaling is the process of using scalers to remove plaque and calculus from teeth. It is one of the oldest forms of dental hygiene services and scalers have been used for hundreds of years to combat periodontal disease and keep mouths healthy. Hand scalers are made up of two main components: the handle and the sharp scaler surface itself. There are many different scalers that have specific shapes for certain surfaces of teeth. They can become very dull after continuous use and need to be sharpened. Hand scalers can be surprisingly effective at removing hardened buildup of tartar. Hand scaling is typically done during any dental cleaning due to its effectiveness and longstanding predictability.
Sonic Scaling
Sonic scaling is the use of a device that vibrates a titanium tip against the surfaces of teeth in order to remove plaque and calculus. The vibrations are powered by air, similar to most dental drills. The vibrations per second range from 3,000 to 8,000.
Ultrasonic Scaling
Ultrasonic scaling is the use of very fast vibrating tips with water to remove hard tartar deposits and thorough removal of plaque. Ultrasonic scaling has become increasingly popular in dentistry due to its efficacy in removing debris, reducing treatment times and offering improved patient comfort in comparison to traditional methods such as manual hand scaling. Lots of water is needed to keep the units from overheating and the water with the vibrations forms cavitations, or bubbles in the water, that break up the cell walls of bacteria when the bubbles pop. There are two types of ultrasonic scalers –
Cavitron Ultrasonic Scaler (Magnetostrictive Devices)
The Cavitron ultrasonic scaler oscillates in a 360-degree pattern at a rate of 20,000-40,000 times per second. It has interchangeable tips to allow for cleaning in hard-to-reach places and the tips are universal regardless of manufacturer. The tip of a Cavitron can clean debris off of teeth from any angle or orientation of the tip.
Piezo Ultrasonic Scaler (Piezoelectric Devices)
The Piezo ultrasonic scaler oscillates back and forth at a rate of 29,000-50,000 times per second. It has interchangeable tips, but only the lateral sides of the tips can be used to clean teeth. Less water is needed for Piezo ultrasonic scalers than for Cavitron ultrasonic scalers.
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Teeth Polishing
There are two main types of teeth polishing – the conventional way of doing it and the new way to do it. The conventional way is significantly more cost effective for the dental office and has been used for years.
Conventional Teeth Polishing
With the assistance of an air-driven polishing cup, abrasive pastes are used to polish off staining and plaque along the outer and biting surfaces of teeth. The abrasive pastes come in different grit sizes and flavors but provide a smooth feeling once it is finished. There are some scenarios where conventional polishing has limitations – around orthodontic brackets and reaching deep pits and fissures on biting surfaces of teeth.
Guided Biofilm Therapy
A portable system that uses erythritol powder with water to thoroughly clean and polish teeth. Disclosing solutions are used to stain plaque and calculus on teeth – typically shows up as a bright blue or purple color. The Air-flow system provides a great solution for polishing teeth and cleaning around difficult areas such as orthodontic brackets and implants. These systems are quite expensive and not many offices utilize this new technology.
Conclusion
Teeth cleaning techniques have come a long way over the years and there is now more technology available to help make your teeth feel much cleaner. Hand scaling has been the mainstay in the dental cleaning process, but ultrasonic and sonic scalers, in addition to guided biofilm therapy can make a significant difference in your oral hygiene. If you haven't experienced some of these new techniques, ask your dentist about them. They may be able to offer you a more comprehensive cleaning experience than traditional methods.
Dr. Thomas is a general dentist that loves sharing information about all aspects of dentistry, but is passionate about digital and implant dentistry. Dr. Thomas received his DMD degree from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and continues to find helpful ways to inform and educate people about dental procedures and products.
Are you looking for a second opinion? Dr. Thomas is the CEO of Opinion Two Nonprofit Organization. Opinion Two is available online or on mobile app and it allows patients to receive dental second opinions with top US-licensed dentists. All proceeds are used to benefit future generations of dentists through scholarships and benefits to pre-dental programs.