Bay College Dental Center offers comprehensive cleaning using scaling techniques to keep your gums healthy and avoid encountering tissue problems.

• Scaling with ultrasonic instruments is the process in which our dental team clean plaque from our patients’ teeth using an ultrasonic device that clears off the tartar and wash it away with a water spray.
• Scaling with hand-held instruments is the process in which our dental team use a dental scaler and curette to manually remove (scale) the plaque from our patients’ teeth. During the scaling process, our dental staff rely on touch to identify rough spots and areas of tartar build-up as they can’t see the plague.

Teeth cleaning is part of oral hygiene and involves the removal of dental plaque and calculus from teeth with the intention of preventing cavities (dental caries), gingivitis, and periodontal disease.

Why Do I Need It?
Gum disease is caused by a sticky film of bacteria called plaque. Plaque is always forming on your teeth, but if they aren’t cleaned well, the bacteria in plaque can cause your gums to become inflamed. When this happens, your gums will pull away from your teeth and form spaces called pockets. Plaque then gets trapped in these pockets and cannot be removed with regular brushing. If untreated, gum disease could lead to bone and tooth loss.

It has been established through research that gum disease is linked to other health problems, including the risk of heart disease and stroke.

During a routine cleaning, the hygienist uses a small, metal scaler to scrape off tartar above and below the gum line, and/or an ultrasonic vibrating device to loosen plaque and tartar.

Polishing:

• It is done using a slow speed hand piece with a soft rubber cup that spins on the end after cleaning. This process leaves the teeth shiny and smooth.

Fluoride:

• To aid in the prevention of dental caries, we provide our patients different flavours of fluoride such as mint, peppermint, and strawberry. It is in-office topical 60 seconds rinse.

In combination with oral examinations and routine cleanings, it is recommended that you also seek other preventative hygiene services such as gum disease treatments or even professional breath control treatments.

Fluoridation is generally (not universally) utilized by dentists and many other practitioners due to its effectiveness in warding off tooth decay. The U.S. Center for Disease Control lists water fluoridation as one of the “ten greatest public health achievements of the 20th century.” Fluoride therapy is now frequently practiced by using various methods. Many different therapies exist, ranging from the fluoridated toothpastes used at home to topical fluorides and rinses applied by dentists. Some municipalities also apply publicly sponsored programs such as fluoridation of water or salts. At home therapies also exist and can be broken into prescription and over-the-counter strengths.

If you’re seeking a new family dental centre in order to effectively perform cleanings and oral examinations, please don’t hesitate to contact us today. We’ll be more than happy to set up an appointment for you and answer any questions or concerns that you may have.