Scaling / Cleaning of Teeth
Scaling/cleaning of teeth is most commonly advised treatment by a dentist which removes the adherent tartar & food particles in between teeth and also between teeth and gums. External stains on the teeth which cannot be removed by simple brushing, can be removed by scaling and polishing.

Scaling is the procedure done by state of art. modern ultra sonic technique which does not cause any harm or scratches on the natural tooth structure. No local anesthesia is given for this procedure as this is virtually painless procedure.

Tartar/ Calculus appears as yellow /brown/blackish hard deposits between gums and teeth. Excessive deposition of tartar over a period of time leads to mobility of teeth and unhealthy gums.

External stains on the teeth are caused by smoking, tobacco, tea & coffee intake etc. Sometimes even if a person does not have these habits & has good brushing habits still stains are observed. That is because of few chromogenic bacteria present in the saliva which causes these stains.

Myths about scaling of teeth:
  • Teeth become weaker
  • Gaps are increased than before
  • Teeth become shaky or mobile than before
  • Sensitivity appeared which was not there prior to the scaling procedure.

Scientific Reasoning against the Myths
  • In some cases there are gaps between teeth which gets covered by tooth coloured tartar. On removal of this tartar the patient feels the gap has occurred due to Cleaning of teeth which is wrong.
  • Mobility of teeth post scaling is a myth as teeth can only get better and healthier after scaling. Tartar presence holds the shaky teeth intact psychologically, but actually it is causing a negative impact on the natural attachment of gums and teeth.
  • As the tartar is removed the concealed part of the teeth is exposed to the oral environment thereby causing mild to moderate sensitivity to the teeth which is transient. This sensitivity vanishes in a day or two. Most of the patients do not even experience this sensitivity.