How To Get A Dental Cleaning Without Feeling White Hot Terror And Pain
ShareGoing for a cleaning at the dentist is one of the most unpleasant appointments you can have, second only to fillings and root canals. (Although there's something to be said for cleanings being worse since they happen far more often.) Some people have gums so sensitive, that getting them cleaned is enough to stop them from going to the dentist at all. Here are a few ways to make the experience of a dental cleaning easier.
New Ultrasonic Cleaning Options
The traditional way of cleaning your teeth is the old metal-hook for hours where The hygienist will scrape your gums clean. This approach could still be required for parts of the cleaning, but if you haven't had a cleaning in a while, and your gums are particularly sore, there's another option that can be less unpleasant called the ultrasonic approach.
Ultrasonic tooth scalers convert electricity into a type of mechanical energy. This creates vibrations upwards of 30,000 times per second. By combining these devices with water, small heated bubbles can hit and loosen plaque stuck to your teeth. It can do this in a way that often hurts your gums less than scraping.
- How Ultrasonic Helps
The worst plaque can be removed in this way, and it will save a lot of pain in many cases. It's worth noting that this can sometimes damage fillings, so it's important to check with a dentist regarding whether the approach is worth it or not.
This isn't solely a comfort thing for you either. Professionals cleaning your teeth hardly want you jerking every time they do anything. It's also difficult for them to see what's going on in your mouth unless everything is clean.
One of the advantages of the ultrasonic approach is that it can universally reduce plaque quickly, so it becomes easier for the dental professional to see what they're doing.
Novocaine for Cleanings
Most people think that a local anesthetic in the form of Novocain is for fillings only, but this isn't the case. There are a number of dentist offices that will let you get Novocain for cleanings if your teeth and gum lines are sensitive enough.
The motivation behind using Novocain is that if the cleaning hurts too much, or if it bleeds enough for the experience to be traumatizing, then you may be unable to force yourself to come back every six months.
Being smart about how you get your cleaning could save your teeth in the long run since you'll be less likely to put off future cleanings when you really need them.