WHAT IS A SCALE AND POLISH?

What does a hygienist do?

A scale and polish is most commonly done by a dental hygienist. A hygienist is a dental professional who is specially trained to look after your oral hygiene. This includes:

• Advice – Dental hygienists provide tailored oral health, lifestyle and nutrition advice to help you keep your teeth and gums healthy. This mainly focuses on preventative measures you can take to avoid the development of oral health issues.
• Oral hygiene demonstrations – Your hygienist can demonstrate correct teeth cleaning techniques using fluoride toothpaste and proper use of floss or interdental brushes.
• Scale and polish – It’s usually the hygienist who performs this professional teeth cleaning procedure.

Teeth scaling and polishing

Wondering what exactly is involved in a scale and polish? Put simply, there are two main parts to the process: scaling, which aims to remove stubborn tartar; and polishing, which smooths out the surface of your teeth.

Your scale and polish appointment will usually follow these steps:

1. Electric scaling

The first step of the scaling procedure is often done with an electric (or ‘ultrasonic’) scaling tool. If that sounds scary, don’t worry. This little instrument simply vibrates at high speeds to loosen tartar around your teeth. It may also spray some water to help wash plaque and tartar away, which might require you to spit during the process.

2. Hand-tool scaling

After the electric scaler, the second stage is usually done with special handheld instruments in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit around your teeth. These tools make it easier for the hygienist to gently scrape away any stubborn plaque and tartar from hard-to-reach areas of the mouth, like between the teeth and in or below the gum line.

3. The polish stage

The final step is to ‘polish’ the teeth to make the surface really smooth, as newly exposed enamel may be slightly rough after scaling. Polishing is done with an instrument that looks like an electric toothbrush, and may include the use of a special toothpaste to finish off the cleaning process. While polishing removes stains, leaving teeth bright and shiny, it is not just a cosmetic procedure. It also smooths away minor imperfections and patches of rough texture on the teeth. This removes places for plaque and tartar deposits to cling to and helps protect your teeth against further build up.

And the result of all this scaling and polishing? Cleaner, brighter, healthier teeth and gums.

Does a scale and polish hurt? Are there any alternatives?

A regular scale and polish treatment may feel uncomfortable at times, but it shouldn’t be painful if you have been regularly removing plaque with a good oral health routine. However, if stubborn tartar has been allowed to build up around your teeth and gums, you might experience some pain during the procedure. This is because your dental hygienist may have to work harder to remove the tartar. In this case, they may offer you a local anaesthetic to help ease any discomfort or pain.

Depending on the severity of the tartar build up before your procedure, you may experience some pain for a few days after a scale and polish. You may also feel some tooth sensitivity for up to a week. In some cases, your gums may feel tender and swollen or bleed slightly. This is completely normal and should go away on its own as your gums heal.

If you have any concerns following your scale and polish, speak to your dentist or hygienist.

How long does a scale and polish take and how often should I have one?

The length and frequency of your dental cleaning and polishing appointments will depend on the condition of your teeth and gums.

For many people, one or two professional cleanings a year are sufficient. If you have poor oral or gum health, however, more frequent cleanings may be recommended. Your dentist and/or dental hygienist will be able to advise you on how frequently you should be scheduling appointments, so speak to them about this.

How much does a scale and polish cost?

Perhaps your dentist has recommended one, and you’re now wondering, ‘how much is a scale and polish?

Unfortunately, there is no blanket answer for this question. The cost of a scale and polish procedure will depend on, the dental practice you visit, and the number of appointments you need in order to complete the process.

If you do need a scale and polish, speak to your dentist about your financial options. And in the meantime, be sure to keep up a twice-daily teeth brushing and flossing routine to help keep your smile as healthy as possible, and lower your risk of needing a lengthy scale and polish.

After a scale and polish – next steps

It's important to remember that a professional cleaning is an addition to, not a replacement for, a good daily oral health routine. In order to keep your gums healthy, you must still brush twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste like parodontax Daily Fluoride toothpaste.

parodontax Daily Fluoride is specially formulated to help stop bleeding gums by enhancing plaque removal – and is proven to be 4X more effective at removing plaque, the main cause of gum problems.*

Discover the full range of parodontax daily toothpastes today.

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