Food particles accumulate between your teeth which are not adequately removed and poor dental hygiene leads to forming a sticky film of bacteria on teeth known as plaque.
If you don’t get rid of plaque, it builds up on your teeth and turns into tartar, also called calculus.
This can cause your gums to swell and bleed, gives you gum diseases, tenderness, swelling and makes your breath smell bad, which can be embarrassing.
It is possible to remove plaque by brushing and maintaining good dental hygiene. Still, calculus is rigid and cannot be removed by brushing. Thus you need to see your dentist. Who would do deep teeth cleaning to get rid of calculus, known as scaling?
What is Teeth scaling?
Scaling is the professional teeth cleaning done by the dentist using special dental instruments.
Scaling your teeth means removing plaque and tartar from your teeth.
Especially between your teeth and below your gum line, which is hard to reach by tooth brushing and often missed by flossing, to prevent gum disease and cavities.
Calculus builds up over time; it can cause gum problems like swelling and bleeding.
This can also lead to periodontal disease, making the gums pull away from the teeth and resorb the bone that holds the teeth in place. This causes teeth to become loose or even fall out.
When do you need Teeth scaling?
Scaling is a general procedure. Tartar on your teeth is hard and challenging to remove by brushing or flossing at home.
Even after brushing and flossing well, cleaning between your teeth and under your gums is hard. Plaque builds up there and needs removal by scaling.
When your gums swell, bleed, or your breath smells bad, this is a sign that you need scaling.
To keep your gums healthy and avoid gum problems, you should get scaling done every six months.
Is scaling good for your teeth?
Scaling is often believed to be harmful to teeth, weakening them. This is a common misunderstanding.
In fact, scaling eliminates tartar and helps to keep your mouth and teeth healthy. Prevents gum diseases, halitosis, cavities, pockets formation around teeth and exposure of roots. Teeth deteriorate as a result of tartar accumulation.
What are the benefits of scaling?
- Keeps your gums healthy and removes tartar that builds up under your gums, which you can’t remove with a toothbrush and floss.
- Prevents gum diseases from getting worse and turning into periodontal diseases.
- Prevents bad breath, which is due to the buildup of calculus.
- Keeps teeth from going bad
- Removes stains. Drinking tea, coffee, wine, or smoking can stain your teeth. This helps eliminate the stains, brightens your smile, and whitens your teeth.
- protects roots of teeth
Is teeth scaling painful?
Although scaling your teeth is not painful, you may experience some discomfort and sensitivity due to the procedure.
Scaling below the gum line might cause some discomfort. However, your dentist will numb the region to reduce any pain.
You can feel sensitivity after the procedure for some days, which can be overcome by using toothpaste for sensitive teeth and mouth wash for 2 weeks.
How is teeth scaling performed?
First, your dentist will take thorough medical and social history and rule out any conditions which can cause gum diseases, such as
- Uncontrolled diabetes
- Respiratory diseases
- Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
- Cancer
- Pregnancy
- Menopause
- Medications, such as those used for hypertension, which reduce saliva production
- Smoking
When your dentist examines your teeth, they will take note of any teeth that have pockets, gum swelling, or bleeding on probing. Those teeth will need extra care during the scaling treatment.
Your dentist will be able to perform two different methods of teeth cleaning:
- hand scaler
- an ultrasonic scaler may be used for this purpose.
Your dentist will use a hand scaler to manually remove plaque and calculus from your teeth.
To remove plaque and tartar, ultrasonic scaling employs vibration. Since hand scalers can’t get into hard-to-reach places, ultrasonic scalers use compact and convenient tips and clean up with a water spray. Ultrasonic is better at eliminating large calculus deposits than hand scaling since it is quicker and more efficient.
How long does teeth scaling take?
It can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how much tartar is on your teeth.
It may also take time for your dentist to learn about your medical history and examine your teeth.
Can teeth scaling cause sensitivity?
It’s normal for your teeth to be sensitive after scaling. Your gums may also feel sore, which will only last a few days. Before scaling, tartar covers your teeth and gums. Now that the tartar is gone, your teeth are clean and sensitive.
Your dentist will suggest ways to treat sensitive teeth, such as sensitive toothpaste and mouthwash, which are used for two weeks.
If you use it longer than that, your teeth can become discoloured.
How much does teeth scaling cost?
Depending on the amount of calculus and stains on your teeth, the price might range anywhere from $700 to $1200.