You may wonder why you even need to attend your six-month dental cleanings since you clean your teeth at home on a daily basis. What you may not know is that your dentist’s office has professional tools specifically designed to get to the parts of your mouth that you’re not able to. They make a huge difference to your oral health! Learn more below about the cleaning tools and what their purposes are.
Mirror, Mirror, In My Mouth
Dental mirrors are incredibly important so your dentist and hygienist can examine the entire surface of your teeth. With one, they are able to view harder to see places like your gum tissue towards the back of your mouth. The handle and mirror frame are typically made of metal, and the mirror is actually plated with a specific metal called rhodium that helps avoid image distortion.
Dental mirrors reflect light to brighten the inside of your mouth so your dentist can see better. They also offer magnification so that your dentist can better see the details of the inside of your mouth. They are typically reusable, so your dentist or hygienist will wash, sanitize, and disinfect them before each use.
On A Scale(r) Of 1-10
Scalers are small hand-held tools that scrape the hardened plaque and tartar off your teeth that you aren’t able to get with a simple toothbrush. Each side of the scaler has a different tool: one end is pointed and used to clean above the gum line, and the other is curved and dull to best clean below the gum line. They are also specially designed so they don’t injure gum tissue.
Most of the time, your dentist or hygienist will use the scaler alongside a water sprayer to help clean and irrigate your mouth. Multiple designs of this tool exist to achieve different results.
It’s Not From Poland, But It Does Polish
Once your hygienist or dentist is done with removing hardened plaque and tartar from your gum line, they will polish each tooth so you can leave with a bright and shiny smile. Most use polishers with a small rubber attachment fitted to the end.
You may have noticed that the paste they use is typically gritty and kind of abrasive. This helps ensure a smooth and clean smile. Smoothing out your teeth by polishing them allows your gums to safely attach to the surface of your tooth.
Mouth Wash All Your Problems Away
Your dentist or hygienist will most likely give you a mouth rinse to use before and/or after your cleaning and checkup is complete. This will kill most germs in your mouth so that when your dentist and hygienist are performing their cleaning, bacteria won’t splash up at them. It also ensures that your oral germs aren’t spread to the surrounding area. This helps keeps tools and surfaces germ-free.
Seeing your dentist for your semi-annual checkups and cleanings can prevent you from developing oral health issues. They’ll be able to catch small problems like cavities and prevent them from turning into larger ones down the line. A professional cleaning is no match for at-home brushing and flossing, although it’s important to keep up with your regular oral hygiene routine to avoid detrimental oral health problems.
About the Author
At Coral Springs Dentistry, we offer our patients decades of experience in everything from regular checkups and cleanings to dental implants. We value the gentle and personal approach we give patients seeking preventive care because we want everybody to be comfortable. We can have you in and out in about an hour for your checkup and cleaning, so there’s no need to have to take time off work! To schedule an appointment or for any questions, visit our website or call 954-341-0500.