How Long Does a Dental Cleaning Take?
Oct 1st, 2022
A regular dental cleaning appointment, a.k.a appointment with your local dental hygienist, can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 45 minutes and is subject to taking longer than 45 minutes, depending on the state of the patient’s oral health.
Why Would it Take Longer Than Normal?
In many cases, the buildup severity depends on the patients diet, oral hygiene routine, and past dental history. Therefore a longer and more extensive cleaning may be required if the patient has more than an average amount of plaque buildup.
More important than how long a dental cleaning takes is understanding the importance of a dental cleanup! Unfortunately, most people still wonder if these regular bi-annual appointments are even necessary in the first place. This article will cover every aspect of a dental cleaning, leaving you informed as to how essential regular dental cleanups are for your oral health longevity.
Rundown of Teeth Cleaning:
Steps In a Dental Cleaning Appointment:
Your dental hygienist will review the health state of your gums and teeth, checking for any gum disease, development of cavities, or your overall oral health state. Every so often, they will take pictures of your mouth using a professional x-ray tool to save the current state of your oral health on file for further reference and examination.
1.Scaling: Your dental hygienist will start by using professional tools to properly clean and remove any buildup of plaque and tartar from the surface of your teeth, around the gum line, and in between your teeth.
2. Polishing : Polishing is the next step, in which your hygienist will use a rotating electric tool combined with toothpaste that has a sandy texture. The combination of the gritty toothpaste and fast circular motion helps eliminate the excess plaque on the surface of your teeth, leaving them nice and polished.
3. Flossing: Flossing is the next step, in which your hygienist uses regular dental floss to floss the remainder of the plaque off from in between your teeth. Also, checking for irregularities in the spacings between your teeth.
4. Fluoride: Lastly, your dental hygienist will allow you to choose from an assortment of fluoride flavours. The patient then proceeds to swoosh around this fluoride, followed by spitting it out. Sometimes, you can decide whether you prefer the liquid or gel form which is applied to a mouthpiece and then placed on your teeth for a certain period of time.
Is Dental Cleaning Important?
Yes, professional dental cleaning is essential. However, even if you follow the dental recommendations of flossing once a day and brushing your teeth at least twice a day, you are still susceptible to developing oral complications. This is because, regardless of how often you maintain a proper oral hygiene routine at home, there are areas of your mouth that cannot be cleaned with the tools you own. Only your dental hygienist can professionally clean these hard-to-reach areas where plaque and calculus build up over time. Therefore, getting regular dental cleanups at least once every six months is essential.
Advantages of Dental Cleaning:
- Reducing risk of tooth decay and gum disease
- Catching early signs of diseases that may develop if left unattended
- Looking for signs of gingivitis, inflammation, bleeding, and tenderness of gums
- Plaque and tartar removal
- Polished and clean teeth
- Preventing detrimental plaque buildup
By letting your dental hygienist examine the state of your oral health professionally every six months, they will catch early signs of diseases that may develop if left unattended. Furthermore, you can prevent tooth loss, gum disease, and further oral complications by simply attending your scheduled six month dental cleaning appointment.
The Takeaway:
It’s easy to dwell and put off your dental cleanup appointment, but understanding the upsides and importance of a short appointment will change your mind! The reward for a quick 30+ minute cleaning appointment is oral health that can last for years to come. So don’t skip your bi-annual dental appointment! They can save you money and pain in the long run by preventing unnecessary dental complications that would have developed otherwise.
Plus, it helps to look forward to how you will feel afterwords! This is an excellent way to get rid of the fear of going to the dentist in the first place. After your dental cleaning, you will feel and look fresh and clean! There’s no better feeling than being confident with your smile and satisfied with your teeth’s state of health. Ultimately the goal of a dentist is to make you feel confident with your smile!
Request Your appointment Today!
At AARK Dental Centre, our staff is dedicated to offering patients a comprehensive list of general, restorative and cosmetic dental services designed to meet the needs of the whole family. Our goal is to assist each patient in achieving and maintaining long-term dental health and a beautiful smile with the highest quality service we know possible.
Please call us at (604) 554-0244 to schedule a new patient appointment.
If you prefer, you may submit a request form below, and our treatment coordinator will contact you as soon as possible.
Located at Coquitlam Centre
Hours
Mon: 10:00am-6:00pm
Tue: 10:00am-6:00pm
Wed: 10:00am-6:00pm
Thu: 10:00am-6:00pm
Fri: 9:00am-6:00pm
Sat: 10:00am-6:00pm
Sun: closed
