What is teeth scaling and why is it required?
Scaling is a treatment which cleans teeth by removing food particles (which are present in the teeth as well as the gums), tartar, external strains which are difficult to remove while brushing. Scaling is a regular procedure and it does not affect ones teeth, in fact it cleans teeth and maintains dental hygiene .No anesthesia is required in this process. Calculus/tarter gets deposited between the teeth and the gums which causes tooth fall and unhealthy gums over a period of time. Hence scaling helps to maintain healthy teeth.
Plaque is sticky, soft, colorless deposit of food particles and bacteria on the teeth. Such bacteria multiply very fast and lead to gum infection and bleeding of gums. Bacteria can be removed by brushing of teeth, but after11-14 hours of brushing these bacteria forms calculus .Calculus cannot be removed by brushing and requires teeth scaling.
What are the myths about teeth scaling?
People have some doubts/ negative view about scaling .There is certain myths such:-
When the tarter gets removed the area gets exposed which causes mild sensitivity, but that goes in1/2days.Hence the teeth becomes healthy after scaling.
There are 2 types of instruments used i.e. hand held and ultrasonic instruments. Some dentists rely on personnel touch to identify tarter, plaque and rough spot, they use curette/dental scales to remove the plaque manually.
Ultrasonic instruments have a metal tip that vibrates and chips off tarter, along with a water spray to wash away the tarter and keep the metal tip cool.
Scaling removes tarter/calculus that get accumulated on the teeth by cleaning the teeth below and above the gum line .Various instruments are used for this purpose but mostly ultrasonic machine is used. It vibrates and has a fine tip which removes tarter from the surface of the teeth. This machine is completely safe and does not affect the tooth surface. After scaling the dentist will call you to see the improvement in the teeth. Dentist recommends cleaning of teeth after every 6 months.
How often is scaling required?
One should visit the dentist after every six months; he can check the teeth and advise you if scaling is required or not. People who have dental plaque should go for scaling after every 6 months.
If you have a lot of tartar on your teeth, your dentist may prescribe dental scaling. This is because the buildup provides bacteria with a nutrient-rich environment.
Scaling and root planing is a non-surgical technique that does not require any anesthesia. The treatment is quite painless, however, for people who are particularly sensitive, a local anesthetic can be administered to provide maximum comfort.
Because of the local anesthesia used, the gums will feel numb and somewhat sore after scaling and planning. The recovery of the patient's healthy and strong gums can be ensured by maintaining adequate dental hygiene.
We only suggest it if it's absolutely required, such as to treat gum disease or reduce your chances of getting it.