Professional cleaning and AirFlow

What the visit includes

• AirFlow and ultrasonic cleaning
• Removal of dark staining
• Fluoridation to protect the enamel
• Home care advice

When this procedure is needed

• 01There is hard calculus or soft plaque at the gum line.
• 02Gums bleed when you brush.
• 03Your breath smells although you brush twice a day.
• 04Coffee, tea or smoking have changed the colour of the enamel.
• 05You are preparing for whitening, prosthetics or braces — cleaning comes first.

How the visit goes

1. 1
   Examination and assessment

   The hygienist looks at where calculus has built up and how the gums respond. That decides whether one visit is enough or a second is needed.

2. 2
   Removing calculus and plaque

   Hard deposits are removed with ultrasound, soft pigmented plaque with an Air-Flow jet. The enamel itself is not ground away.

3. 3
   Polishing and protection

   The teeth are polished with paste and coated with fluoride varnish: a smooth surface stays clean longer and fluoride reduces sensitivity.

After the procedure

• For two hours avoid coffee, tea, red wine and smoking: after polishing the enamel stains particularly easily.
• Sensitivity to cold for a day or two is normal and passes by itself.
• Gums may bleed a little on the first evening if there was inflammation before the cleaning.
• Use a soft brush and floss — calculus builds up fastest where the brush does not reach.
• Repeat the cleaning every six months; if you smoke, every four.

Prices for this service:

Frequently asked questions

Why do I need a cleaning if I brush twice a day?

A brush removes soft plaque but not calculus: plaque hardens within a day or two and holds firmly to the enamel. Bristles also cannot reach between the teeth or the edge under the gum, and that is exactly where inflammation starts. Home and professional cleaning do not replace one another, they do different jobs.

How often is professional cleaning needed?

Every six months. Every four months for smokers and for people whose calculus builds up quickly.

Does Air-Flow damage the enamel?

No. The powder jet lifts plaque, not enamel. Enamel is worn down by a hard brush and by abrasive whitening pastes used daily.

Why are my teeth sensitive after the cleaning?

Areas of the tooth neck that were covered by calculus are now exposed. The sensitivity passes within a day or two; fluoride varnish speeds that up.

Why do my gums bleed when I brush?

Healthy gums do not bleed when brushed. Blood almost always means inflammation caused by plaque at the gum line, which is gingivitis. It is reversible: once the calculus is off and home care is in order, the bleeding stops within a week or two. What you should not do is avoid the spot with your brush — left uncleaned, plaque builds up faster and the inflammation grows.

What is the difference between gingivitis and periodontitis?

Depth. Gingivitis is inflammation of the gum only: bone and ligament are intact, so it clears completely after a cleaning. In periodontitis the inflammation has already reached the bone around the root, so pockets form, tooth necks become exposed and a tooth may loosen. Bone does not grow back on its own, so this cannot wait: at the appointment the dentist measures the pockets, takes a scan and says what can still be stopped.

Where does bad breath come from?

Most often the cause is in the mouth: coating on the tongue, calculus, inflamed gums, less often an old filling or a crown with a poor margin trapping food. Professional cleaning removes the cause rather than the smell. If it persists after a cleaning and good home care, it is worth having the ear, nose and throat and the stomach checked — then it is not the teeth.