What to Expect During a Dental Cleaning

TL;DR

Dental cleanings at Dentologie are designed to be thorough yet anxiety-friendly. Patients can expect X-rays, inspections, plaque removal, polishing, flossing, fluoride application, and a final dentist check. Each step supports whole-mouth health in a calm environment, with flexible appointment lengths to ensure efficiency without sacrificing care.

• Initial consultation and cleaning length: about 90 minutes.
• Arrival includes check-in and noting trouble spots.
• Routine X-rays may be taken for full-mouth assessment.
• Visual inspection by hygienist identifies concerns.
• Plaque and tartar removed with scaler.
• Polishing with gritty paste and electric brush.
• Demonstration of proper flossing technique.
• Fluoride varnish applied for cavity protection.
• Dentist inspection and scheduling of follow-ups.
• Dentologie emphasizes comfort for patients with dental anxiety.

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We know that for some patients, dental anxiety can be a real thing. We know, too, that some patients will actually put off their dental cleanings as a result of that anxiety. Thankfully, Dentologie is here to help ease that anxiety and get you into your dentist’s chair feeling ready.

With this in mind, we’ve assembled a helpful guide to walk you through what to expect at your dental cleaning appointment. Our providers are experts at working with patients with dental anxiety. They are here to offer a clear, professional, and relatively pain-free dental deep cleaning procedure.

Dentologie’s Deep Cleaning Dental Procedure

At Dentologie, we like to ensure professionally-garnered whole mouth health. That’s why we ensure every aspect of your mouth is clean upon completing your teeth cleaning appointment.

A Note About Appointment Length

Many of our nervous or infrequent patients ask us how long dental cleanings take. While an initial consultation and cleaning may take about 90 minutes, a cleaning is far quicker. At Dentologie, we like to be thorough and also efficient so you can get back to your day!

Arrival

After you arrive and check in, you’ll be led to your designated room by a member of our staff. At this time, you’ll be asked about any trouble spots in your mouth.

X-Rays

If you haven’t had X-rays in a while, we may also take some routine X-ray images of your mouth. These are quick and involve a few pain-free shots by our handy machine from the necessary angles to ensure all teeth are captured. Simply sit back under the comforting weight of your protective apron and the imaging will be over in no time!

Visual Inspection

Your dental hygienist will begin the meat of your appointment with an inspection of your teeth and gums. They will use their gloved finger or a small mirror to inspect any areas of concern you noted upon arrival.

These few moments will help inform the dentist of any areas that require a deeper investigation. It also helps to ensure there are no major issues that may impede on the cleaning.

Plaque and Tartar Removal

With the inspection complete, the good, clean fun begins. Get ready for a deep dental cleaning procedure your toothbrush simply can’t deliver!

Your hygienist will use a scaler, which looks like a small hook, to scrape plaque and tartar from each of your teeth. This dental cleaning process typically doesn’t hurt and is over in just a few minutes. However, your technician will need to scrape each of your teeth individually. For mouths with more trouble-prone issues, the removal phase may take longer.

Polishing

This is a dental deep cleaning procedure and is essentially like your daily toothbrushing on steroids.

The technician will apply a small amount of gritty toothpaste to a high-powered electric toothbrush. They will then polish each tooth, front and back, to ensure the plaque and tartar are polished away.

Because of the gritty consistency, the hygienist will likely pause and use a water rinse and a small suction straw to help you spit. This will help you avoid swallowing any of the solution as they polish.

Flossing

After polishing is complete, your dentist will likely help demonstrate proper, deep flossing with a piece of dental floss. This involves wrapping each tooth, and then gently bringing the floss up under the gumline to loosen debris.

Fluoride Application

Once your teeth are clean, your dentist will likely offer a fluoride solution, which can be applied to each tooth as a varnish. This is a safe, effective, and pain-free means of giving your teeth their veritable vitamins in their fight against cavities. And it is a cornerstone of a deep dental cleaning procedure.

Dentist Inspection and Discharge

Once your mouth is clean, your dentist will stop in to inspect your teeth and make suggestions for any necessary next steps. You’ll next be brought out to our reception area to schedule your next appointment(s).

Book Your Teeth Cleaning Procedure Today

We told you our teeth cleaning procedure is nothing to sneeze at! Here at Dentologie, we make our patient visits as issue- and pain-free as possible. And we welcome you in with a confident approach to patient- and dental-care.

If you are in need of a cleaning and need a dentist who is sensitive to your dental anxiety, consider us. We have friendly practices in both Seattle and Chicago.

Book your visit today!