Professional dental cleaning

Introduction

In the oral cavity there are billions of different bacteria that colonize the mucous membranes. The entirety of these microorganisms is called oral flora. It is normally in a state of equilibrium, so that infections do not occur because the bacteria that cause illness are kept in check by others. However, if the balance is disturbed, pathogenic germs gain the upper hand and diseases are the result.

Plaque

Tough deposits develop on the teeth, consisting of secretions, cells of the oral cavity, food remnants and above all bacteria. The color of these deposits, also called plaque, resembles that of the teeth, making them difficult to detect. These plaque contains, among other things, streptococci, which are responsible for caries.

When sugar is added, their metabolism produces the aggressive acids that attack the enamel. There are also other microorganisms that cause gingivitis, the inflammation of the gums. If the plaque is not removed, carious lesions and gingivitis and periodontitis/periodontosis occur.

Therefore, it is important to remove these harmful plaque. Since new plaque is always forming in a short period of time, teeth must be cleaned every day. If the plaque persists for a longer period of time, tartar forms due to calcification.

Domestic oral hygiene

For the cleaning of teeth/professional teeth cleaning and thus the removal of plaque, the necessary aids for daily home use are available. These include toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss and interdental brushes. Properly used, plaque can be removed.

Tooth brushing is best done according to a certain scheme so that all sides of the teeth are reached. However, the time required for this is not observed in most cases. Thus, some of the plaque remains.

By means of commercially available plaque staining tablets, these remains can be made visible. Home care of the teeth is essential, but it cannot eliminate all risk factors. Especially tartar caused by calcification of soft plaque cannot be removed by brushing the teeth.

In itself, tartar is not dangerous, but its rough surface makes it an ideal starting point for new plaque. Especially in the places where it is in contact with the gums. Tartar can only be removed in the dental surgery. In the majority of cases, the professional cleaning of teeth is not done by the dentist personally, but he delegates this activity to specially trained dental assistants. These specialized dental assistants, called ZMF for short, have received additional training and are therefore authorized to perform certain tasks in the patient’s mouth, for example professional tooth cleaning.