The process of dental cleaning involves the removal of dental plaque from teeth with the intention of preventing toothache, cavities, gingivitis, and other gum diseases such as periodontal disease.

People often take it upon themselves to care for their oral hygiene but what most people don’t know is that routine brushing and flossing does not clean your teeth entirely.

Plaque which isn’t removed and remains after routine cleaning, can harden and form tartar. This hardened tarter cannot be removed by brushing and flossing and therefore it is crucial to make routine trips to your dentist.

Cloud 9 dental offers a traditional deep cleaning method called scaling and root planning. This method is designed to remove the hardened tarter and protect you from gum disease.

The process of scaling involves scraping off tarter, plaque and biofilm from the tooth surface and underneath the gum line. Root planning on the other hand is the process of cleaning the root surface in order to prevent gum diseases.

In some cases a laser can be used to remove tarter which will result in less swelling and bleeding.

How often should I visit my dentist for a dental cleaning?

During your visit to Cloud 9 dental, we will examine your teeth and advise you on how often you should come in for a dental cleaning.

Twice a year is usually adequate but if you are a smoker, prone to cavities or currently have gum decease, it may differ.

Making your routine trips to our dentist are vital in ensuring that your teeth are tarter free and that your gums are healthy.

Oral hygiene at home

Along with brushing your teeth, flossing is equally as important.

Flossing helps reach as much as one third of your tooth surface and removes plaque and bacteria before it hardens.

Plaque takes between 24 to 36 hours to harden and therefore it is in ones’ best interests to remove it before then.

Removing the plaque will reduce the number of trips you make to the dentist annually, prevent gum diseases and ultimately provide better oral hygiene.

How to floss your teeth?

When you floss for the first time, it is usual for your gums to bleed a little. However, this bleeding should only occur for a few days if the flossing is done regularly.

If your gums do not stop bleeding then it may be necessary to try another type of dental floss. Another alternative would be to consult our team of dental professionals.

Step 1

Break off between 30 to 45 centimetres of floss and wrap it around your index and middle fingers, leaving five centimetres of space between your hands.

Step 2

Guide the floss between your teeth and under the gum. Wrap it around the tooth base in a “C” shape and gently wipe the tooth from the base to the tip, two to three times.

Step 3

Ensure that you floss both sides of each tooth and get a new section of floss when necessary.

Step 4

Once you have flossed each and every tooth, then proceed to brush your teeth. Brushing your teeth once you have flossed is one of the more preferred methods when preventing tooth decay and gum decease.

Cloud 9 Dental - Your Dentist in Claremont, Cape Town

Our Dentist in Claremont will help you find the treatment plan which best suites you.

For more information on dental cleaning or on our other treatments, please contact us.