Goodlettsville Dental Services

Dental cleanings involve removing plaque (soft, sticky, bacteria infested film) and tartar (calculus) deposits that have built up on the teeth over time. The purpose of the cleaning and polishing is basically to leave the surfaces of the teeth clean and smooth so that bacteria are unable to stick to them and you have a better chance of keeping the teeth clean during your regular home care. It is part of a complete program of oral hygiene. At Rivergate Dental Care in Goodlettsville, we have dedicated hygienists.

Your teeth are continually bathed in saliva which contains calcium and other substances which help strengthen and protect the teeth. While this is a good thing, it also means that we tend to get a build-up of calcium deposits on the teeth. This chalky substance will eventually build up over time. Usually it is tooth colored and can easily be mistaken as part of the teeth, but it also can vary from brown to black in color. If the scale, or calculus or tartar is allowed to accumulate on the teeth it will provide the right conditions for bacteria to thrive next to the gums.

How are dental cleanings done?

The dental hygienist uses specialized instruments like those mentioned below to gently remove these deposits without harming the teeth.

Ultrasonic instrument

Commonly used first is an ultrasonic instrument which uses tickling vibrations to knock larger pieces of tartar loose. It also sprays a cooling mist of water while it works to wash away debris and to maintain the temperature. The ultrasonic instrument tips are curved and rounded and are always kept in motion around the teeth.

Fine hand tools

Once the larger pieces of tartar are gone, the hygienist will switch to finer hand tools called scalers and curettes to remove smaller deposits and smooth the tooth surfaces. These tools are curved and shaped to match the curves of the teeth. They allow smaller tartar deposits to be removed by carefully scraping them off with a gentle to moderate amount of pressure.

Polishing

Once all the surfaces are smooth, the hygienist polishes your teeth. Polishing is done using a slow speed handpiece with a soft rubber cup that spins around on the teeth to make them shiny smooth.

Fluoride

Your hygienist may also apply fluoride. This is the final, part of the dental cleaning. Fluoride foam or gel is then placed into small, flexible foam tray and placed over the teeth for 30 seconds. Afterward the patient is directed to spit as much out as possible into a saliva ejector. The fluoride helps to strengthen the teeth since the acids from bacteria in dental tartar and plaque will have weakened the surfaces. It is best not to eat, drink or rinse for 30 minutes after the fluoride has been applied.

Is it going to be painful?

Most people find that cleanings are painless unless you have an exposed dentine, or sore gum tissues.

At Rivergate Dental Care, we’ve treated patients from all over the Nashville area – including Goodlettsville, White House, Madison, Hendersonville, Gallatin and beyond! Give us a call today and soon you will be waking up to a new smile! 1 800 FIX MY TEETH