Scaling & Polishing
Gum disease is often caused by a build-up of bacteria (or plaque) on your teeth and under the gum line. The best way to remove plaque is to brush and floss your teeth daily. But no matter how well you clean your teeth there will always be areas that are hard to clean. Plaque can build up until it turns into calculus (or tartar). This is impossible to remove by brushing and flossing alone. The more plaque that builds up around the tooth and then under the gum line can lead to gum disease.
To reduce the risk of gum disease or to stop it from becoming more serious, it is recommended that you have your teeth professionally cleaned on a regular basis. This is called a scale and polish and is done by a dental hygienist.
Scaling is a procedure where plaque and tartar are scraped from the surface of your teeth. This is done using hand instruments or a vibrating ultrasonic instrument.
If your teeth are stained, your teeth may need to be polished. After stain and tartar has been removed with scaling, the polishing makes teeth feel fresh and clean and look their brightest.
In some cases, a fluoride treatment may be applied to strengthen your teeth.
