How a professional tooth cleaning works

A professional tooth cleaning consists of several separate steps.

Removing deposits and calculus
First the hard deposits – calculus – are removed in a coarse cleaning. In the fine cleaning that follows, the soft deposits and what remains of the hard ones are taken off using hand instruments and an air-polishing device. The hand instruments are particularly sharp scalers and curettes, shaped specifically for the different areas to be cleaned; they are what makes the fine work possible at all.

The air-polishing device
The air-polishing device uses a water-and-air mixture with an added cleaning powder – calcium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate or glycine – to remove discolouration and pigment deposits from the tooth surfaces. Such deposits are caused above all by smoking and by tea and coffee. The pressure of the jet combined with the powder cleans the surfaces. The jet also reaches awkward places such as deep interdental spaces and deep periodontal pockets. It matters that a particularly gentle powder is used on these sensitive surfaces.

Polishing the teeth
The fine cleaning is followed by polishing. The preceding steps leave the tooth surfaces roughened, and if they were not smoothed they would quickly be colonised again by bacteria and deposits. To prevent this, the smooth surfaces are polished to a high shine with small rubber cups, small brushes and polishing pastes of varying grain. For the same reason the interdental spaces are cleaned once more and smoothed with dental floss, superfloss or polishing strips.

Fluoridation
Finally the tooth surfaces are fluoridated with a special solution or varnish to prevent decay. Fluorides encourage enamel components to be redeposited in the teeth – remineralisation – and protect the enamel against acid attack in the mouth.

Fissure sealing
Fissures are small pits, clefts and grooves on the chewing surfaces in which bacteria settle and which a toothbrush reaches poorly or not at all. Through their metabolic products, acids, these bacteria can cause fissure caries. To prevent that, the dentist seals the fissures: a liquid resin is applied to the chewing surfaces and cured. The fissures are closed off, so bacteria cannot settle there. A carefully executed fissure seal achieves good long-term results in caries prevention.