What Is Dental Cleaning?
A dental cleaning is a professional treatment that removes plaque and tartar buildup from your teeth, the kind that brushing and flossing at home can’t fully clear. It’s performed by a licensed dental hygienist and is one of the core building blocks of preventive dental care, done alongside your regular checkup to keep your teeth and gums healthy between visits.
What Does a Dental Cleaning Procedure Look Like?
Your cleaning is handled by one of our dental hygienists, and typically follows these steps:
- Getting Started Your hygienist picks up right where your examination left off, using the dentist’s findings and your history to tailor your cleaning to exactly what your mouth needs.
- Plaque and Tartar Removal Using hand instruments and an ultrasonic scaler, your hygienist clears away plaque and tartar buildup from above and below the gumline, gently and thoroughly.
- Polishing Once buildup is removed, your teeth are polished to clear surface stains and smooth the enamel, which helps resist new plaque from forming as quickly.
- Flossing A thorough flossing clears out anything left between your teeth, reaching spots that are easy to miss at home.
The Importance of Professional Teeth Cleaning for Good Oral Health
Plaque that isn’t removed regularly hardens into tartar, which brushing alone can’t remove and which creates the conditions for cavities and gum disease to take hold. Routine professional cleanings break that cycle before it starts, which is exactly why cleanings are one of the cornerstones of preventive dental care, alongside regular exams and the other services we offer. You can see how cleanings fit into your broader preventive care plan on our preventive dentistry page.
Does Dental Cleaning Hurt?
For most patients, a routine cleaning is not painful. You may feel some pressure or mild sensitivity, especially if it’s been a while since your last visit or if your gums are a little inflamed, but our hygienists work carefully and can adjust their technique for patients with sensitive teeth or gums. If you’re anxious about the visit or have had an uncomfortable experience elsewhere, let us know beforehand, we’re happy to talk through what to expect and make sure you’re comfortable throughout.
How Long Does a Dental Cleaning Take?
A routine cleaning usually takes somewhere between 30 and 60 minutes, depending on how much buildup needs to be removed and whether it’s combined with your regular dental exam in the same visit. Patients who haven’t had a cleaning in a while, or who need a deep cleaning, should expect a longer appointment.
Do You Need a Regular Cleaning or a Deep Cleaning?
Most patients only ever need what’s clinically called a prophylaxis, which is simply the standard, routine cleaning described on this page. But if you have early or moderate gum disease, your dentist may recommend a periodontal cleaning instead, more commonly known as a deep cleaning or scaling and root planing. It’s a more involved procedure that treats an existing problem rather than just maintaining healthy gums, and it’s different enough from a routine cleaning to be worth understanding before your visit.
| Regular Cleaning | Deep Cleaning | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it’s for | Patients with healthy or mostly healthy gums | Patients with early to moderate gum disease (periodontitis) |
| What’s removed | Plaque and tartar above and just below the gumline | Plaque and tartar from deeper below the gumline, including the tooth roots |
| Comfort | Usually no anesthesia needed | Local anesthesia is often used, since it reaches deeper tissue |
| Visits needed | Typically done in one visit | Often split across two or more visits, one side of the mouth at a time |
| How often | Every six months for most patients | As recommended by your dentist, then regular cleanings resume |
If you’re dealing with gum disease specifically, our gum disease therapy page goes into more depth on treatment and prevention.
What Our Patients Are Saying
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is included in a professional teeth cleaning?
A professional teeth cleaning includes plaque and tartar removal, polishing, and flossing, performed by a licensed dental hygienist.
Depending on your visit, it may also include a fluoride treatment or be paired with your regular dental exam, giving you a full picture of your oral health in a single appointment.
How often should I get a teeth cleaning?
Most patients should get a professional teeth cleaning every six months, though your dentist may recommend a different schedule based on your oral health.
Our preventive dentistry page breaks down recommended visit frequency by age group and risk factors in more detail.
What is a deep teeth cleaning, and how is it different from a regular cleaning?
A deep teeth cleaning, also called scaling and root planing, treats gum disease by removing plaque and tartar from below the gumline and around the tooth roots, which a regular cleaning doesn’t reach.
It’s typically recommended only for patients with early to moderate gum disease, and it’s usually done in multiple visits with local anesthesia, unlike a routine cleaning.
Will my teeth or gums feel sensitive after a cleaning?
Some patients notice mild, temporary sensitivity after a cleaning, especially if there was significant tartar buildup or some gum inflammation beforehand.
This typically settles within a day or two, and our hygienists can recommend a sensitivity toothpaste or adjust their technique if you’re prone to this.
Do I see a dentist or a hygienist for a cleaning?
A licensed dental hygienist performs your cleaning, while your dentist handles the exam portion of your visit and reviews the hygienist’s findings.
Both work together during your appointment, so you get a thorough cleaning and a professional evaluation of your oral health in the same visit.
