A dental cleaning is a professional cleaning you receive from a dentist or dental hygienist. General cleanings should be performed every six months to prevent excessive plaque buildup which can lead to unhealthy gums and tooth decay. Sometimes, due to bone loss and/or gingivitis a routine dental cleaning may include scaling and root planning and may need to be performed more often.
Scaling: This is the process of removing plaque and tartar from all tooth surfaces as well as below the gum line using a variety of methods, depending on the amount of plaque and tartar.
Dental hygienists traditionally perform scaling by hand. However, new and advanced technology has led to more modern methods such as electric scalers. This sophisticated tool allows dental cleanings to be performed more efficiently and in less time. To achieve best results, both electric and manual scaling methods are combined for dental cleanings.