Clearing Dental Tartar in the Dentist's Chair is Easier Than Ever

Anyone who has ever gone a long period of time without seeing a dentist has likely been through it. You go in for a dental cleaning and your hygienist or dentist has to spend what seems like ages picking away at the tartar that's collected on your teeth. It's not the most pleasant thing to go through for the patient, but it's been necessary in the past in order to get your teeth and gums fully clean. But if you haven't been to the dentist's office in a while, it might surprise you to learn that this could fully be a thing of the past. Believe it or not, there's a good chance no one will pick at your teeth at all.

Here's what a dental practice might be doing instead.

What's Replacing Dental Scaling

Dental scaling is the technical term for what your dentist has been doing all these years. Essentially, using a dental scaler or a very fine pick on and between the teeth was necessary in order to break up dental tartar and remove it. While an effective method, it could often be unpleasant for the patient because tartar is hard and difficult to pick apart.

Instead of traditional dental scaling, ultrasonic dental scalers are now taking their place. These don't even look the same, so it might surprise you to experience one.

How it Works

Ultrasonic dental scalers don't use brute force to break up the dental tartar anymore. Instead, they use ultrasonic waves to break it up. This is done painlessly and without any of the yanking and pushing sensations you might have experienced with a traditional dental scaler. The ultrasonic waves effectively shake the dental tartar at such a rapid rate that it disintegrates and falls apart, coming off the teeth and gums with ease. It's so effective that it can even be used to break up tartar underneath gum pockets, which are largely to blame for causing severe gum disease.

What to Expect

Going through an ultrasonic scaling is a very simple and easy process for the patient. All you need to do is relax while your dentist takes care of it.

The ultrasonic scaler won't actually feel like much of anything while it's in use. It's combined with a stream of water that's there to flush away any bits of tartar that break loose. Without being told that it's an ultrasonic scaler, you might not even know that it is; it'll just feel like your teeth are being gently rinsed.