Braces as an adult? No way. At least, that was what I thought when my dentist told me that I was going to have to see an orthodontist about my crooked teeth. But my teeth were so misaligned that they were causing me pain when I chewed, so I decided to at least look into it. Turns out braces today are nothing like the ones my friends had when I was a kid. Mine were practically invisible, and I didn't need to wear them that long. I started this blog to encourage other people like me who are nervous about the prospect of wearing braces as an adult. My straight smile is so worth the trips to the orthodontist, and wearing braces was nowhere near as bad as I thought. Read on to find out more about how you can straighten your smile.
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Have you not been to the dentist for a while and have a lot of tartar and stains on your teeth? If so, you're likely wondering what the dentist is going to do about it. If you can see visible staining on the surface of your teeth, it has likely extended down below the gums as well, which means it can lead to gum disease if you do not have it taken care of. Here are some of the techniques you can expect to see during your next dental cleaning to get rid of tartar and stains.
Periodontal Charting
The first thing a dentist is going to do when they see you is make a record of your teeth with periodontal charting. This is the process of probing the teeth with a periodontal probe to take measurements of the pockets of your gums and then note which teeth are bleeding. This will help keep track of your teeth to see if they are getting better or worse over the years.
Ultrasonic Scaler Cleaning
Your dentist is going to use an ultrasonic scaler first to start cleaning your teeth. It works by using ultrasonic vibrations and pressurizing water to remove a lot of the plaque, tartar, and stains from your teeth. This is because the ultrasonic scaler is able to do a really effective job at getting most of the things off your teeth, which will help minimize discomfort and do the majority of the work. You would be surprised at how the ultrasonic scaler is able to remove a lot of the staining on your teeth.
Hand Instrument Cleaning
The next step is to go in with hand instruments to get rid of the plaque, tartar, and stains that remain. Your dentist is actually trained on how to feel for tartar on your teeth, since it often blends in with the natural color of your teeth. The hand instruments can help get deep in the gum line where there are still tiny pieces of tartar, or help get into the grooves between your teeth that are close to the gums. While it feels like a lot of scraping, it is an effective way to get rid of everything that the ultrasonic scaler missed.
Polishing
The final step of polishing your teeth is going to get rid of any dullness on your teeth from the cleaning process and help them shine again. Thankfully, you'll get to pick a flavor for the polish that is used so that it leaves a good taste in your mouth.
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