When faced with an unpleasant task, people sometimes say "I'd rather go to the dentist." Clearly, some would rather not schedule regular visits and it's little wonder that they put off the task of getting their teeth cleaned. Much of this consternation is based on an experience from many years ago and doesn't represent modern-day dentistry. A lot has changed in terms of technology and ability, and teeth cleaning is now much less intrusive. What should you be aware of if you know that you need to schedule a visit?
Why You Need to Take Action
When you do nothing, dental plaque is left to form on its own accord. This film of bacteria builds up on your teeth each day, creating a whitish substance known as biofilm. As this accumulates, pockets of separation will build up in between the teeth and the gums. Then, tiny particles of food interact with this sticky film and will generate hardened deposits of plaque, which are also known as tartar.
How It Used to Be
In the past, this would require a dental technique known as "scaling." It was a skilled, but rather lengthy, task that had to be conducted by a dental assistant using specific tools. If you had a considerable buildup of tartar, you may have had to visit the dentist more than once in order to complete the job. It's little wonder that people were not too keen to come along for this procedure. However today, technology has made this task much simpler.
New Techniques
Now, ultrasound power scalers are used and the vibration loosens the deposits very easily. The work can be undertaken much more quickly and it's a lot more efficient. Tartar is removed not only from the surfaces, but also those pockets of trouble all around the gums. Tiny tips are attached to the ultrasound instruments that are able to penetrate more deeply into problematic areas than the old tools. In addition, the new tool has a water spray that flushes out the area during the procedure and gets rid of all the bacteria. For the patient, this is a lot less invasive and requires less time in the chair.
How Does This Work?
The ultrasound scaler converts electricity into energy by agitating water to such an extent that tiny bubbles are created, based on low and high pressure points. These bubbles will implode, and this creates the energy in the form of pressure. When this action is reproduced very quickly and on a microscopic scale, it easily loosens even the hardest particles of tartar.
It's Your Turn Next
As you can see, the entire process is much simpler than it used to be and you now have no excuse for skipping that all-important visit to the hygienist!
For more information, contact a local family dentist.
