Professional cleaning
Scaling and professional polishing: removing the tartar and stains a toothbrush can no longer shift, usually every six months.
A professional clean removes the tartar and stains your brushing at home can no longer reach. Tartar is hardened plaque that builds up mostly at the gum line and between the teeth; once it forms, a toothbrush won't remove it.
It is the simplest form of prevention: it keeps the gums healthy, slows decay and gives us the chance to catch small problems before they become big ones.
Left alone, tartar irritates the gum: first it bleeds when you brush, then the gum can recede, and over time gum disease reaches the bone that holds the teeth. A clean in time stops that at the first step.
Suitable if
- Everyone, as maintenance, usually every six months.
- Gums that bleed when you brush.
- Visible tartar or stains from coffee, tea or tobacco.
- Getting ready for other treatment: whitening, braces, an implant.
Not suitable if
- An emergency with pain or swelling, which is dealt with first.
- Advanced gum disease, which needs fuller gum treatment.
Your alternatives
A clean has no substitute, but it comes in steps:
- A routine clean removes tartar above the gum and polishes the teeth. For most patients, that's all that's needed.
- Deep cleaning below the gum is done under local anaesthetic when tartar has gone down into gum pockets; it's part of gum treatment.
- Brushing at home and cleaning between the teeth don't replace a clean, but make tartar build up much more slowly.
How it goes
Consultation and plan
We look at your teeth and gums, check whether they bleed and how much tartar has built up. On a first visit, a clean usually follows the consultation.
Preparation
If your teeth are very sensitive, we can use a numbing gel or local anaesthetic. Tell us beforehand.
The treatment itself
Scaling removes tartar with an ultrasonic instrument and fine hand instruments. Then comes professional polishing, sometimes with air polishing, which lifts stains, and a final polish.
Check-ups and maintenance
We show you where plaque builds up in your mouth and how to clean there, with floss or the right interdental brushes. The next clean is usually in six months.
How long it takes overall
- A cleaning appointment
- about 45–60 minutes
- Sensitivity afterwards
- a few days
- Next clean
- usually every 6 months
- With gum problems
- every 3–4 months
What the cost depends on
The cost depends on how much tartar has built up and what the appointment includes: scaling, air polishing, polishing. When cleaning below the gum is needed, it's part of gum treatment, separately.
We tell you the cost when you book or after the consultation. Details in the guide to treatment cost.
Costs
How the cost of a treatment is set →What you will feel
A clean doesn't hurt. You feel the ultrasonic vibration and cold water, and inflamed gums may bleed a little. If your teeth are sensitive, we take breaks or use a numbing gel.
Afterwards, the teeth may be sensitive to cold for a few days, especially where tartar covered the root. A toothpaste for sensitive teeth helps, and the sensitivity passes on its own.
If the noise of the instruments or the cold water bothers you, tell us at the start: we work area by area, more slowly, with breaks.
Risks and limits
A clean doesn't damage enamel: the instruments remove tartar, not tooth. Gaps between teeth may look bigger afterwards; that is where the tartar was, and the gum tightens as it heals.
Without brushing and cleaning between the teeth at home, tartar builds up again within months and the effect of the clean doesn't last.
After treatment
What happens in the first days, and why the sensitivity settles on its own, is in After scaling and polishing.
Between cleans, what you do at home matters most. Brush twice a day for two minutes, with a soft brush and short strokes angled towards the gum. Clean between your teeth daily, with floss or interdental brushes of the right size; we show you which at the appointment. A fluoride toothpaste and fewer sweet snacks between meals do the rest.
Common questions
- How long does it take?
- A cleaning appointment usually takes 45 to 60 minutes.
- Does it hurt?
- No. There may be some sensitivity to cold for a few days afterwards, which passes on its own.
- How often should I have a clean?
- For most patients, every six months. With gum problems, more often, every three or four months.
- Does a clean whiten my teeth?
- It removes surface stains and the teeth look brighter, but it doesn't change their underlying colour. That's what professional whitening is for.
- Why do my gums bleed during a clean?
- Because tartar has inflamed them. After the clean and proper brushing at home, the bleeding eases within a few days.
- Can I have a clean while pregnant?
- Yes, and gums inflame more easily in pregnancy, so it's actually useful. Tell us beforehand so we choose the right time.