Dental cleaning is the process of removing plaque and tartar from your teeth. It helps prevent gum disease, tooth decay and bad breath. It also protects your overall health, as poor oral hygiene is linked to heart disease and diabetes.

The most common type of dental cleaning is a prophylaxis. It is a routine cleaning recommended biannually for everyone.

Oral Hygiene

The practice of oral hygiene includes brushing, flossing, and regular dental exams and cleanings. Good oral hygiene can prevent many oral health problems including tooth decay, gum disease, bad breath (halitosis), and infections in the mouth and throat. It can also lower the risk of overall health conditions like heart disease and stroke.

The mouth is full of germs that are mostly harmless but can cause serious infections if they aren’t removed regularly. Oral hygiene practices keep the germs under control and prevent the formation of plaque, which can lead to cavities and periodontal disease.

Brushing and flossing are the best ways to remove germs from the teeth and gums. However, sometimes these measures aren’t enough to eliminate all of the bacteria in the mouth. If a person has excess bacteria, they may need to visit the dentist for a professional cleaning, which can be done using a prophylaxis or gross debridement. Both of these types of cleanings remove hardened plaque and tartar from the teeth, but the latter involves a more thorough examination of the entire mouth.

Water

Water is used to rinse away debris and wash the mouth after each step of a dental cleaning. A squirt of water will also be applied to dry the teeth with a tool called a dental air/water syringe. A hygienist may also use the syringe to spray a mouthwash solution to help fight cavities or bad breath.

Unlike other beverages, water does not leave behind sugary residue that cavity-causing bacteria love to feed on. In addition, drinking water throughout the day helps keep the mouth moist, which can reduce acidic toxins that destroy tooth enamel and lead to tooth decay.

Water can be contaminated with a variety of bacteria, fungi, and microorganisms when stored or used improperly. These contaminants can promote infection in patients and dental staff. Using commercial products designed to control and prevent water contamination is the best way to guarantee safe dental treatment water.

Paper Towel

In 1907, a Philadelphia teacher named Arthur Scott was sick of students sharing cloth towels with their classmates and spreading germs. She started providing paper tissues to her students. This ‘lightbulb’ moment inspired Scott to develop the first-ever towel-sized sheets of soft tissue paper.

Paper towels are used for drying hands, cleaning windows and other surfaces, dusting, and picking up spills. The sheets are usually thin and absorbent, with some brands even embossing the surface to improve absorption. They can be purchased individually in stacks or held on a roll and are sold under many brand names including Bounty, Seventh Generation, and Scott.

Since their introduction, paper towels have become a household staple. However, it’s important to remember that they are not biodegradable and are a significant contributor to global waste. This is why some manufacturers offer eco-friendly products such as recycled and/or bamboo-based paper towels. These are becoming more popular as people become aware of the impacts of their daily habits.

Fingers

Fingers are the long, thin, flexible parts of the hand. There are five fingers on the hands, except for the thumb, and they consist of bones, joints, tendons and skin. They are also affected by diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout and Raynaud’s phenomenon.

Dental professionals use their fingers to perform an oral examination, which includes checking the mouth for signs of gum disease and other problems. They may also take X-rays of the mouth to identify any issues that cannot be seen by the naked eye.

The hygienist uses the teeth scaling tool to remove hardened plaque and tartar from the surface of the teeth. The tool has a metal blade with a curved tip. A dental hygienist can also use an ultrasonic scaler, which has a vibrating tip that breaks up and dissolves plaque and a jet of water that washes it away. Dental professionals also use a curette to scrape the areas of the teeth that are hard to reach by brushing and flossing, which can prevent the buildup of bacteria that leads to gum disease.