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What Happens During a Tooth Cleaning Appointment?

Universal Dental
Welcome to Universal Dental, where we serve our patients in Universal City and our neighbors in Live Oak, Converse, Schertz, Selma, Bracken, Cibolo, and Garden Ridge. We are a modern dental clinic dedicated to providing you with the best dental experience possible. With our state-of-the-art technology, experienced team, and comfortable atmosphere, we will help you achieve the smile of your dreams. No matter what brings you to our office, you can enjoy the quality, affordable, and fully personalized care that you deserve.
BY Universal Dental

Most people are afraid of tooth cleaning. It’s reasonable considering the strange noises, poking, and jaw discomfort experienced during the procedure. You should understand, however, that a teeth cleaning process is mostly painless and simple.

To help ease the dental anxieties and phobias, you should know exactly what tooth cleaning in Universal City TX entails.

First, let’s note that the cleaning procedure is performed by professional dental hygienists and takes roughly 30 to 60 minutes. This process is crucial to keep your teeth and gums clean and fresh and also avoid unwanted dental infections.

What to Expect

  • Physical Examination

Before commencing the actual cleaning process, Universal Dental hygienists have to administer a physical exam for your entire mouth.

It involves using a small concave mirror for checking around your mouth. They diagnose for signs of oral problems such as gingivitis, inflamed gums, discolored teeth, or plaque and tartar build-up.

With this information, the hygienist has an idea of what to focus on during the actual process. They will recommend a deeper examination if serious issues like cavities and gingivitis are noted.

  • Tooth Scaling

Guided by the concave mirror, your dentist will focus on removing plaque and tartar prevalent on teeth. This process uses a scaler to scrape off tartar and plaque and involves lots of scrapping, which is normal. More scrapping is done on areas with more tartar buildup.

Your hygienist can use a manual or an ultrasonic scaler. The scuffling is more intense when a manual scaler is used. With the ultrasonic scaler, only gentle vibrations are felt. Larger deposits will need rinsing using warm water.

Maintaining a good oral hygiene routine, by regular brushing and flossing your teeth will prevent tartar and plaque build-up.

  • Persistent Toothpaste Cleaning

Using an electric brush, your dentist cleans the tartar-free teeth and gum line. There is a substantial grinding noise during this process as the electric brush is high-powered and it seeks to reach the deep parts of the tooth that the scaler missed.

Most professional cleanings use special toothpaste with a flavor similar to the regular toothpaste. You can also choose between the different available flavors.

It’s advisable to go for professional tooth cleaning near you twice a year for polishing and to keep your teeth tartar-free. If you do it from home, you can easily hurt your gums or wear down the enamel unknowingly.

  • Skilled Flossing

Nothing beats an expert flossing session, regardless of whether you floss regularly from home. Your hygienist seeks to get to the deep crevasses and grooves between teeth. This way, they can locate spots on your gumline from where bleeding is most expected.

Expect to feel some grinding during this step. Some people, especially those that floss regularly, may find this pointless, but professional flossing is a great chance to remove that plaque you miss when flossing from home.

This step also effectively removes toothpaste and tartar left from the arlier steps of the process.

  • Rinsing

After flossing, your hygienist then gives you a rinsing fluoride fluid that gets rid of debris and any deposits left from the above steps.

  • Fluoride Treatment

This is the last step of the process of tooth cleaning in Universal City. The fluoride treatment administered is crucial in protecting your teeth from cavities and bacterial damage for the next few months.

Your dental hygienist allows you to choose the flavor that best suits you. Next, they fit a foamy gel or a sticky toothpaste in a mouthpiece resembling a mouthguard, that fits on your teeth. It’s then left there for close to a minute.

Additionally, fluoride varnish is applied to the enamel using a small brush. The fluoride varnish hardens immediately it comes into contact with saliva, so you can eat or drink immediately after.

Other Probable Steps

It’s advisable to go for a tooth cleaning near you twice a year. X-ray diagnosis is done once a year. Depending on the condition of your mouth for the physical examination, the dentist can recommend several other physical examinations during your visits. Molar sealants are recommended for children to evade cavities.

The goal here is to keep visiting the dentist in universal city TX for tooth cleaning to help prevent dental problems altogether.

Now that you understand what to expect in a tooth cleaning appointment, you will feel more at ease and may even look forward to more such appointments.

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