A professional cleaning removes the hardened tartar that brushing and flossing cannot shift. Your hygienist scales above and below the gumline, checks the health of your gums, polishes, and looks for the early problems that are cheap to fix now and expensive to fix later.

Cleanings are the appointment people skip when their schedule is tight, so we have built ours around that. We open at 7:00 am Wednesday through Saturday and stay open until 8:30 pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

More than most people realise. The scaling is the part you feel, but it is not the most important part.

Gum assessment

Your hygienist measures the depth of the pockets around each tooth with a small probe. Healthy gums measure one to three millimetres. Deeper pockets mean the attachment between gum and tooth is breaking down, which is how periodontal disease is caught before it costs you teeth. This measurement is the single most clinically valuable thing that happens at a hygiene appointment.

Scaling

Hardened tartar is removed from the tooth surfaces with an ultrasonic scaler and hand instruments, above and below the gumline. Tartar cannot be brushed off once it has formed. This is why the appointment exists.

Polishing

A polishing paste removes surface stain from coffee, tea, and tobacco, and leaves the tooth surface smooth so plaque takes longer to build back up. Polishing removes stain sitting on the outside of the tooth. It does not change the underlying colour of your teeth, so it is not whitening.

Fluoride

A fluoride varnish or gel is applied where it is useful, which strengthens enamel and reduces sensitivity. Whether it is recommended depends on your decay risk rather than being automatic for everyone.

Examination and screening

Your dentist examines your teeth and existing fillings, reviews X-rays where they are due, and screens the soft tissue of your mouth, tongue, and throat for anything unusual. Where something needs further investigation, we refer you to the appropriate specialist. Early detection is what makes the screening worth doing.

For most people, no. You feel vibration, cold water, and pressure. It is not usually painful.

It is more uncomfortable if your gums are already inflamed, or if it has been years since your last cleaning and there is a lot of tartar to remove. Both of those get better with subsequent visits, which is the argument for coming back rather than leaving it another five years. If you are sensitive, tell your hygienist. Freezing is available and so is nitrous oxide, and neither is unusual to ask for.

Most people assume bleeding when they brush or floss is what happens to everyone. It is not. Healthy gums do not bleed.

Bleeding means inflammation, which is gingivitis. At that stage it is entirely reversible with a professional cleaning and better daily cleaning at home. Left alone, it can progress to periodontitis, where the bone supporting the tooth is lost, and that damage does not come back. Periodontal disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults and it is largely painless until it is advanced, which is precisely why the pocket measurements matter.

Every six months suits most people. Some need more, some less, and it depends on your actual risk rather than a rule.

Every three to four months is usually recommended if you have been treated for periodontal disease, smoke, have diabetes, are pregnant, or build tartar quickly. If your gums are consistently healthy and your risk is low, longer intervals may be appropriate. Your hygienist will tell you what your mouth needs rather than defaulting to the same schedule for everyone.

Book a cleaning at Springbank Hill Dental by calling (403) 454-4757 or booking online. We are at 133-7460 Springbank Blvd SW, open from 7:00 am Wednesday through Saturday and until 8:30 pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays. New patients are welcome, no referral is needed, and parking is free.