There are some deep cleaning procedures that a dental hygienist might perform, such as a scale and polish. This is a comprehensive cleaning of your teeth and gums, where our hygienist will start by scraping away any build-up of plaque, tartar or calculus from the teeth, this is known as the scale. Once our hygienist is satisfied that your teeth have been descaled, they’ll go on to polish the surface of the teeth, essentially cleaning them deeply – this is the polish.
This is one of the most common treatments a dental hygienist will perform, but it shouldn’t be painful. You may feel a slight bit of discomfort during the scaling procedure, especially if you have a stubborn build-up of calculus but it shouldn’t be too severe. You should let your hygienist know if you’re finding the procedure painful at any time.