Scaling and Polishing : Next Step to Prevention of Dental Problems

It is an old proverb, “Prevention is better than cure”, especially in the medical field. Who loves to go to a doctor with pain in their mouth? Nobody! Everyone wants to go by their life with minimum medical issues and visitation to the hospital. But for that, we always have to try and follow dos and don’ts given by medical associations. Is that really possible in the fast running life of the 21^st century? It is but would consume a significant amount of time of your day to keep track of whether you have followed and done everything. Prophylaxis treatment i.e. a treatment to prevent a disease is a better way to go about it.

Scaling and polishing are one of those methods that can help you to prevent tooth and gum diseases for the smooth running of day to day activities.

What is Scaling?

Dental Scaling is a procedure to remove plaque buildup on the tooth as well as gums. For a simple understanding, it is what you do when you brush your teeth but by a Doctor. It is a procedure where the Doctor cleans your teeth and gums with advanced equipment to remove any plaque formed on teeth and gums, and to remove any stains on the teeth.

Is it useful?

Yes, it is useful and helpful more than you can think.

It is done by an expert in the field, so its better than any cleaning you can do at home.
It removes hardened plaque on teeth and gums which cannot be removed from brushing or flossing.
It not only is medically important but also cosmetically. You don’t want to roam around with stain on your teeth, especially the front ones.
It prevents the infestation of tooth and gum disease. What if you already have one? It would then slow down its progression.
It helps you get rid of bad breath which is mostly caused due to the presence of plaque.

What is Polishing?

Polishing is another procedure that is used to prevent tooth and gum disease and is also used for cosmetic purposes. As the name suggests it is the procedure performed to smoothen the surface and make it shiny. It is mostly used as a part of another treatment, to remove any residual deposits on teeth that would make it rough or leave a stain on it.

Is it Useful?

Polishing is done on your teeth by a doctor for almost the same reasons as scaling. Although the procedure might seem similar due to being for the same reasons, it is not. Polishing involves smoothening of your tooth surface as well giving your teeth an aesthetic appearance.

Dangers of not cleaning your teeth

Although the treatment and procedure seems basic and avoidable using more abrasive brush but it is not. Mouth hygiene is essential to avoid gum diseases such as Gingivitis and Pyorrhea which can lead to loss of teeth. It can even extend to causing heart disease and difficulty in controlling blood sugars. Scaling and Polishing helps your teeth to be in best condition and prevent development of any disease related to teeth and gums. Although the procedure is simple and doesn’t take much time to be performed but it does require utmost care. If done with wrong amount of pressure would lead to gum injury and bleeding. Getting it done from right professional is important for effectiveness of treatment and avoiding post treatment complications.