Seeing your dental hygienist regularly for a clean is one of the most effective ways to prevent gum disease. Your hygienist has the tools and expertise to remove build-up of plaque and calculus that brushing and flossing alone can’t get rid of.
A scale and polish session takes between 30 to 60 minutes depending on the amount of plaque and stains on your teeth. At times, longer and more frequent appointments are recommended for those who are more prone to gum disease and those who are wearing braces.
If you suffer from severe gum disease or periodontitis, your dentist may refer you to a hygienist or periodontist for a deep clean, also called “scaling and root planing”. This is the only way to prevent further damage to your bone structure, thwart tooth loss, and bounce back from gum disease.
A deep clean is performed when the bacteria has reached down the roots of your teeth. We will remove the plaque and calculus that formed below the gumline and clean all the way to the bottom of the pocket. Planing is when the root surfaces of the teeth are smoothed to enable the gum tissues to heal and reattach to teeth more easily.
A deep clean is usually done over several appointments and often requires a local anaesthetic.
Stained and discoloured teeth often make us self-conscious and prevent us from displaying a full smile. This is something we successfully manage for our patients using our AIRFLOW® Stain Removal system.
AIRFLOW® is an especially effective way to tackle deep stains that are not easily removed using normal stain removal methods. Here, a jet of water, air and bicarbonate particles are sprayed on the surface of the teeth to gently clean and lift away stains caused by coffee, tea, red wine, etc. This lasts around 45 mins with no anaesthetic, no pain and no sound, which is quite a relief for patients who experience anxiety during dental visits.