Myths About Teeth Scaling

Gum problem is one of the most common complaints of an individual. When brushing of the teeth is not done properly, the leftover food debris combines with the bacteria in the mouth and forms a soft, sticky, slimy layer called plaque. This deposits on the teeth surface and on the gums.

Plaque when not cleaned gets hardened over time to form a hard chalk like layer over the tooth surface and at the tooth gum junction called tartar or calculus. This plaque and calculus when left ignored affects the gums and the underlying bone of the tooth which eventually leads to infected gums and its inflammation.This is commonly called pyorrhoea.

When this happens, your gums will pull away from your teeth and form spaces between the gums and teeth called pockets. Tartar which is trapped in these pockets cannot be removed with regular brushing and causes bone loss which finally leads to tooth loss.

If gum disease is caught early, a professional cleaning/scaling can restore your oral health. Scaling and Polishing helps in the removal of the plaque and tartar from the underlying gums and helps your teeth last a long period of time.

This professional teeth cleaning helps to access areas of the gums and teeth, which are not accessible by normal home brushing.

Few Myths about Scaling

1.SCALING WILL DAMAGE MY TOOTH SURFACE

The concept that scaling damages the enamel is not true. Teeth Scaling is a procedure that removes the deposits around the tooth structure and surrounding gums. The instrument used is an ultrasonic scaler.

Ultrasonic Teeth scaling involves mechanical vibration of the scaling tips, which are blunt, along with continuous irrigation with water, specifically designed to break down and scrape off the complex deposits and stains on and around the surface of the tooth.

Unlike the popular belief, scaling instruments don’t manually peel off the enamel layer of your tooth structure.

Scaling, if done after proper diagnosis and using the correct methods, is the best tool to give your gums a healthy long life.

The best dentists in Delhi counsel their patients thoroughly about oral hygiene methods after the scaling procedure. This includes brushing and flossing technique and appropriate diet regime.

2. SCALING MAKES TEETH MOVE

Teeth movement can be due to various reasons from periodontal disease, trauma or old age. The movement of teeth can be physiological or pathological, temporary or permanent.

We receive cases with heavy calculus (tartar) deposits, receding gum line and compromised periodontal or oral health.

Years of neglected oral hygiene where the damage to the supporting structures of teeth has already been done and is irreparable, in such cases the bone and supporting structure of teeth have receded and the only thing keeping the teeth in place is big blocks of calculus filled with multiple bacteria.

When we remove the debris and calculus from the tooth surface, the teeth begin to move.
Regular dental check-ups and scaling every six months can help in preventing periodontitis.
So in such cases teeth do show mobility post scaling because the disease is pre-existing.
Scaling itself doesn’t cause teeth to move!!

3. SCALING CREATES GAPS BETWEEN TEETH

As mentioned earlier , scaling cannot cause new damage. It doesn’t create gaps between teeth. It just makes you see the defects that were well hidden in an unhygienic oral cavity before.

The best cosmetic dentists in Delhi educate their patients on the importance of six-month professional cleaning before initiating any cosmetic dental treatment.
IT CLEARS UP THE SPACE WHICH WAS ALREADY THERE !!

4. SCALING MAKES THE TEETH SENSITIVE

When you start ignoring the arising gum problems in your mouth like bleeding gums, bad odour due to plaque deposits and pus discharge due to the underlying gum issues and let the bacteria build their castle of tartar in your mouth, the natural gaps in between the teeth are filled with tartar. When this tartar is removed by scaling, the teeth and the roots get exposed to the oral environment and become moderately sensitive.

In most cases, the sensitivity vanishes in a couple of days.
Sensitivity toothpaste containing potassium nitrate can help to reduce sensitivity.

5. SCALING POLISHING IMPROVE TEETH COLOR

The process of scaling removes the soft and hard deposits from your teeth including extrinsic stains. It doesn’t improve the natural colour of your teeth. If your teeth are naturally pale or yellow than scaling wouldn’t improve the colour of your teeth.

Scaling will only remove the deposits!!

Polishing serves to smoothen the surface of your teeth after scaling so that it becomes difficult for stains and debris to stick to your teeth for a certain time period. It also doesn’t improve the colour of your teeth.

To whiten your teeth or improve the colour of your teeth there are other procedures such as Teeth Whitening. The best dental clinic in Delhi follows six monthly protocols to remind their patients of regular scaling/cleaning and polishing.

To book an appointment with us in, ‘Smile Delhi- The Dental Clinic’– call us on +91- 9811106871 or whatsapp Dr. Suprriya B Bhatia on +91-9811106377. You can also mail us on [email protected]

We Care To Make You Smile.

Posted by: Dr Hema