Your teeth benefit from a professional cleaning. Learn how it’s different from just brushing and flossing

3 Gross Things Removed From Your Teeth After Just 1 Cleaning

September 27, 2016

6 months is just enough time for our mouths to warrant a professional dental cleaning. Plaque and tartar buildup happens over time, kind of like how a ceiling fan collects dust.

Consistent dental care creates a healthy smile, but how much does one dental cleaning really do? A lot, as it turns out.

1. Surface Stains

Even if you brush regularly, plaque sticks around in the form of tooth stains. Hygienists use professional toothpastes—ones that remove 35% more stains than at-home brushing. Dental professionals choose pastes depending on patients' needs. Their rubber cup toothbrush is softer than commercial versions, balancing out the toothpaste’s abrasiveness.

2. Hard Plaque

Those in a dental visit drought may have spots with hardened plaque—also known as calculus. Adults who saw the dentist in the last year had less calculus than those who hadn’t been within 12 months, according to one study. More solid than Channing Tatum’s abs, calculus is too hard to be removed by tooth brushing alone. Hygienists must use periodontal scalers to remove calculus buildup.

3. Bad Breath

Concentrations of odor-causing bacteria dropped from 75% to 25% after just 1 professional cleaning, according to a study in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology. Like plaque, bacteria hide in your mouth’s hard-to-reach crannies. Less oxygen reaches those areas, making them dry (and stinky). A cleaning removes deposits on teeth near the gum line. If your breath is consistently bad, your dentist can help identify the underlying condition.

Though a single dental cleaning isn’t an instant fix, 1 appointment can make a big difference. Schedule your next visit today!