What to Expect from a Dental Cleaning

Dental exams and cleanings are vital to your oral health. Through routine dental cleanings, your Valencia, California dentist, Dr. Brian Gradinger, can help prevent decay and dental disease, which can lead to premature tooth loss. If you want strong, healthy, attractive teeth, we encourage you to make biannual visits to your teeth cleaning dentist part of your busy schedule. 

What to Expect from a Dental Cleaning

Dental exams and cleanings go hand in hand. Dr. Gradinger will examine your mouth for signs of gingivitis (early gum disease), decay, or other issues that can threaten your oral health. We may also take x-rays to check your bone health and detect hidden dental problems under the gum line of your teeth.  

Routine dental cleaning generally involves:

• Teeth scaling – Using special dental tools, Dr. Gradinger will scale your teeth to remove all plaque and tartar above and around the gum line and leave your teeth smooth and clean. Even if you’re diligent in brushing and flossing daily, you won’t be able to get rid of all plaque or harmful bacteria, especially in between back teeth, where it’s hard for your toothbrush to reach. Once this plaque hardens into tartar, it can only be removed by your dentist.
• Polishing your teeth – Once your teeth are clean, we’ll polish them to remove surface stains and make them sparkle.
• Fluoride treatment – Lastly, we can apply fluoride to your teeth to strengthen your enamel and reduce your risk of cavities. 

Do Teeth Cleanings Hurt? 

Routine dental cleanings don’t generally cause pain, especially if you’ve been seeing a dentist regularly. If you’ve been lax in your dental care and have extensive plaque or tartar build-up on your teeth, you may experience pain or discomfort due to gum inflammation or sensitivity. We may need to deep clean your teeth to eliminate plaque and harmful bacteria from beneath the gum line. This can be done using a numbing gel or local anesthetic to avoid discomfort and pain.

To schedule a dental exam or cleaning at our Valencia, CA office, contact the team at Brian Gradinger, DMD, today at (661) 450-6650.