Maintaining good oral hygiene can have many benefits. Good oral hygiene habits at home can help you maintain good oral health. It is essential to get professional preventive care at least twice a year.
You might feel anxious about visiting the dentist if you don’t know what you can expect. It is helpful to be familiar with the names and functions of some standard tools you might see during a cleaning appointment.
Mirrors
Dental mirror is the most important tool for dentists and other dental hygiene professionals. Without this tool, it would be difficult for you to examine the surfaces of your teeth as well as the gum tissue behind them.
Mirrors can be made of metal or fiberglass frames to avoid image distortion. Mirrors for dental use reflect light from the top and illuminate your mouth. This allows dentists to better see the calculus deposits.
Mirrors with concave shapes can be magnified to help identify small deposits. Most handles are made of stainless steel or a resin. Mirrors may be reused, but some mirrors are not. Others can be used once and then thrown away.
Scalers
Scalers are hand-held, steel teeth cleaning tools made to remove tartar and plaque. The blunt end bends below the gum-line to reach below it, while the sharp end can reach above the gum line.
Ultrasonic scaling devices are used to remove plaque and tartar. Dental hygienists usually start with this device. They then use a water sprayer to cool the instrument’s tip, and then rinse their mouth. The American Dental Association (ADA) states that a dentist should not use magnetostrictive ultrasound scaling devices on patients with cardiac pacemakers. They may interfere with the pacemaker.
Polishers
After your Rancho Cucamonga dentist has cleaned your teeth of any tartar or plaque, the next step to polish each tooth is to make them as white as possible. The prophy angles are small rubber cups which attach to an electric polishing tool.
These pastes can be used for smoothening uneven areas of teeth and keeping the entire surface clean. This allows healthy gum tissue and tooth surfaces to be connected. Polishing can be done after ultrasonic or hand scaling.
Begin with a rinse
Whatever tools your dentist uses, professional cleanings always start with a preprocedural rinse. This ensures both patient and dental hygienist are safe.
When you see the instruments that the dental hygienist intends to use, you’ll be able to identify scalers or mirrors. These tools can clean your teeth, prevent tooth decay and help you avoid gingivitis. For more information, ask your dentist.