Professional Teeth Cleaning

Professional teeth cleaning is a dental procedure aimed at deep cleaning of the oral cavity, removing dental plaque, tartar, and polishing tooth enamel. There is no need to explain why professional teeth cleaning is performed, but it makes sense to discuss what distinguishes a professional oral hygiene complex from home hygiene.

1. Depth of Cleaning

Home cleaning with a toothbrush and dental floss only removes soft plaque and food particles from the tooth surface. Professional oral cleaning allows removing not only plaque but also tartar, which forms as a result of plaque hardening. This is especially important for preventing diseases of the oral mucosa.

2. Disease Prevention

Home teeth cleaning maintains hygiene and to some extent prevents the development of certain diseases. At the same time, the quality of home hygiene is not always up to standard. Professional oral hygiene significantly reduces the risk of developing caries, gingivitis, periodontitis, and other diseases, especially if performed regularly. Additionally, professional oral hygiene inevitably involves a specialist examination, which allows diagnosing diseases at an early stage and quickly starting treatment.

3. Cosmetic Effect

Home hygiene products are unable to significantly change the aesthetics of a smile. We not only do not recommend the use of whitening products at home but insist on their danger and harm to dental health. Professional oral hygiene involves polishing and plaque removal, which restore the natural whiteness of teeth by eliminating surface stains from coffee, tea, tobacco, and other products.

Comprehensive professional oral hygiene is indicated for all patients without exception, with an optimal interval between cleanings of up to six months. However, some patients are recommended to come for routine check-ups and cleanings more frequently.

General indications for professional cleaning:

• Tartar and plaque.
• Yellowing of teeth.
• Bad breath.
• Early signs of gingivitis (gum inflammation).
• Prevention of dental diseases.

1. Ultrasonic Cleaning

The most common and effective method, in which an ultrasonic scaler destroys tartar and hard plaque. The procedure is safe for enamel and effectively removes hard deposits both above and below the gums.

2. AirFlow (Air-Abrasive Cleaning)

The AirFlow system uses a mixture of water, air, and fine abrasive powder (most commonly sodium bicarbonate) for gentle and deep cleaning of tooth surfaces. This allows removing plaque and stains, improving tooth color. AirFlow is also well suited for patients with sensitive teeth and children, using glycine-based powders for this purpose.

3. Mechanical Cleaning

This method involves the use of manual instruments (curettes, scalers), with which the dentist manually removes tartar. Currently, mechanical cleaning is rarely used and is combined with ultrasound to achieve the best result.

Comprehensive oral cleaning may also include fluoridation. After the main cleaning, a special fluoride-containing gel or varnish is applied to the teeth to strengthen the enamel and reduce the risk of caries. The procedure is contraindicated for patients who have:

• allergy to fluoride or increased sensitivity to the components of the preparation;
• fluorosis;
• acute inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity.

Braces and professional cleaning are inseparably linked. First, professional teeth cleaning before installing braces is simply necessary. And it is not only about hygiene and preventing the development of gingivitis, caries, and other diseases, but also about the process of attaching the braces themselves. Plaque or deposits prevent reliable fixation of braces, which can lead to debonding of system elements, reduced treatment effectiveness, and the need for correction.

Second, professional teeth cleaning while wearing braces is an important procedure for maintaining oral hygiene and preventing various dental problems. Brace systems make quality home teeth cleaning difficult, causing more plaque and food debris to accumulate around archwires and brackets. This increases the risk of caries, gingivitis, and tartar formation. When wearing braces, professional cleaning should be done at least once every three months.

Professional cleaning is also necessary during the process of installing implants. As a rule, professional teeth cleaning is performed before implantation. This measure helps reduce the risk of infection at the implantation site, prevent the development of peri-implantitis, improve the prognosis of implant integration, and maintain the health of teeth adjacent to the implantation area. Professional teeth cleaning after implantation is also necessary, as maintaining proper oral hygiene is critically important for long-term implant use.

The cost of professional oral hygiene depends on a number of factors, mostly varying depending on the type of procedure, clinic class, and equipment.

In most Kyiv clinics, professional teeth cleaning is available, with prices starting from 2,500–4,000 hryvnias for a standard cleaning. The cost of a comprehensive hygiene procedure, including during implantation or wearing brace systems, ranges from 3,000 to 8,000 hryvnias.