Why a Professional Dental Clean Is So Important

Professional dental cleaning (more correctly known as soft tissue maintenance or management) is an important part of oral care. This is because it’s very difficult to remove all of the buildup of biofilm (white, sticky layer of plaque) on your teeth, on your own—even if you brush and floss regularly. No matter how well you brush your teeth, biofilm can build up in many of the hard to reach nooks and crannies in your mouth, including under your gums. These soft deposits of biofilm eventually turn into calculus (hard deposits), which is impossible to remove with a toothbrush or floss. For this reason, maintaining good oral hygiene is made up of two parts:

1. What you do at home: brushing twice daily + flossing once daily.

2. What is done in a dental clinic: a yearly check-up with a dentist and biannual soft tissue maintenance with a professional dental hygienist who uses special tools to remove the build-up of biofilm, calculus and stains.

What to expect at your soft tissue maintenance appointment

It all starts with a check-up
Our dental hygienists will examine the condition of your teeth and gums and look for signs of gum disease, tooth decay and oral cancer and other pathologies.

The all-seeing dye
Our hygienists usually begin treatment by putting a vegetable dye on your teeth. This dye stains bacteria in 3 different colours: pink areas show areas of the the tooth’s surface that have been cleaned recently and the biofilm is immature (recently formed); blue areas show biofilm that has been on the tooth’s surface for longer than 48 hours and where a complex biofilm has developed; and light blue areas show acid production from biofilm which has a pH of 4.5 or lower—this is considered high risk biofilm.

Scale & polish
Our hygienists will then scale your teeth using a combination of techniques. Biofilm, stains, food particles and early calculus are removed with the EMS Airflow. This cutting-edge instrument works by projecting a stream of very fine powder, air and warm water onto the tooth’s surface, gently removing deposits. Tougher deposits such as calculus are removed using an ultrasonic with warm water or hand instruments.

Teaching you tips and tricks
Since soft tissue maintenance treatments are all about prevention, it’s important to equip you with the right techniques for your at-home oral care routine. So, throughout your appointment, our dental hygienists will also train you up on the right brushing and flossing techniques.

Watch: how EMS technology is used to get your mouth squeaky clean

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To get on top of your oral health, please book an appointment with us here