Dental cleaning

Every day, the bacteria present in your mouth form plaque from your food. This is a white layer on the teeth, usually against the gums. This layer is harmful to tooth tissue and gums and can cause tooth decay and inflammation. 

Fortunately, plaque is soft and can be brushed away fairly easily.  

However, when present for too long, it can mineralize into tartar under the influence of saliva. This tartar is hard and is firmly attached to teeth. As a result, it can no longer be brushed away and it is recommended that it be removed through a dental cleaning.

Healthy gums are tight and pink in color. It does not bleed during brushing or teeth cleaning. The presence of plaque and tartar can cause gingivitis, which is a bacterial infectious disease that usually does not cause pain. Inflamed gums look red and swollen and bleed easily during brushing. When only the gums are inflamed we speak of gingivitis, but if the jawbone also becomes involved in the inflammation, the inflammation worsens to periodontitis. In that case, the bone level will recede, causing the roots of teeth to become less and less set in the bone.  

Our prevention assistant can help you prevent plaque and tartar as much as possible with a dental cleaning. By coloring the dental cleaning plaque, she can clearly show where it has accumulated and using brushing instructions, she can guide you to keep your teeth cleaner. Furthermore, she will remove the tartar present and then polish all tooth surfaces so that your teeth are clean and smooth again. 

In the case of periodontitis, the tartar is located under the gums and its removal will be performed by the dentist with a dental cleaning.