Plaque is the soft, sticky substance that surrounds the teeth. It is mostly made from bacteria and releases acid that dissolves minerals in the enamel of the tooth, causing dental cavities, tooth decay and infections. Plaque that builds up around the gums can break down gum tissue leading to painful gum disease, which results in bleeding and possibly even heart disease. It is therefore very important to keep plaque under control with effective brushing and flossing at home.

However, sometime if plaque is left for too long it can harden and become tartar. This is a yellow-brown substance that is very difficult or impossible to remove with a regular toothbrush. Tartar will need to be removed by a dentist in a process known as scaling. The dentist or hygienist will use a special tool to carry out the scaling process to remove tartar. It is also possible to remove stains caused by food or drink using a process called polishing.

Hand scalers are manual tools to scrape away tartar from the teeth. It may not be the most pleasant experience you will ever have but the dentist will be careful to limit the discomfort as much as possible. Obviously, the cleaner your teeth are from home brushing and flossing, the less intrusive the scaling and polishing treatment will need to be. Dentists may also use electric scalers. For the polishing, they will use an electric polisher to leave the teeth as smooth as possible, making it hard for bacteria and plaque to cling to in future.

Scaling and polishing at a Leeds dentist will help to keep your mouth and teeth as clean as possible, limiting the chances of dental decay and a future of unpleasant dental treatment. Make an appointment today to give your teeth a deep clean.