Professional tooth cleaning

Professional tooth cleaning is not a more thorough version of brushing at home. It reaches places that brush and floss do not get to – the spaces between the teeth and above all the periodontal pockets.

How it proceeds

It begins with an examination of the dentition and a systematic recording of findings, together with a conversation about what could go better at home. Then the deposits are removed – on the tooth surfaces, between the teeth and below the gum margin.

After that the teeth are polished. This is not a cosmetic step: bacteria settle preferentially on rough spots, and a smooth surface delays the next deposit. Finally a fluoride varnish protects the enamel against acid.

With periodontitis and with implants

In periodontal therapy the cleaning is a fixed part of the aftercare – without it the inflammation returns. Anyone with implants needs a programme of their own: the tissue around an implant reacts differently from that around a natural tooth and calls for gentler instruments.