Sometimes it can be hard to clean the entire surface of your teeth and remove all plaque. Pockets of teeth and gum at the back of the mouth or on the inside, next to the tongue, don’t get a proper scrub, leading to the buildup of bacteria.

During a dental cleaning, your dentist targets these problem areas, removes any plaque or tartar using special cleaning tools, and leaves your mouth feeling fresh and clean. The great thing about dental cleaning is that it helps to prevent gum disease and tooth decay by removing more of the plaque and bacteria in your mouth. 

How often you get your teeth cleaned per year depends on your particular mouth and circumstances. People who do not have a history of periodontal disease typically have their teeth professional cleaned twice per year. Those who do have a history of gum infections may want to attend professional cleanings more often. 

Dental hygienists use a tool called a scaler to remove plaque and tartar from between your teeth and around your gums. The scaler makes a scraping noise, but that’s just the way the tool works: it’s different from a brush. Sometimes a brush isn’t enough to remove plaque that’s stuck to your mouth, and so dentists must use special tools. 

While professional teeth cleaning can help to keep your mouth and gums free from plaque and tartar, you need to take an active role in prevention if you want to stop gum disease and tooth decay. Both brushing and flossing morning and night can help prevent plaque from sticking to the teeth and gums and hardening into tartar. 

The answer depends. If your teeth are covered in a thick layer of plaque and tartar, then the answer is yes, your teeth will look whiter. Teeth cleaning removes the gunk and reveals the natural color of your teeth. If, however, your teeth are stained, then this will continue to affect their whiteness. Only whitening treatments can help to make your smile more brilliant. 

If you’re searching on Google for “teeth cleaning near me,” you want to know how much it costs. Teeth cleaning by a dental hygienist typically costs between $75 and $200. The average cost of routine cleaning is around $127. Part of the price includes an X-ray. Often a dentist will want to view the condition of the teeth below the gumline before getting on with the cleaning process. 

Yes, dental cleaning has plenty of benefits. Here are just a few:

• Lower risk of dental pain. When teeth and gums become infected by bacteria, it causes pain and swelling. Sometimes dental pain can be extreme: it’s something that you want to avoid. While regular brushing and flossing are essential, sometimes you need professional cleaning to ensure that you remove all of the plaque that could generate infection.
• Protect your gumline. Sometimes it’s difficult to brush every last area of your mouth. There will always be pockets that you don’t reach. Dental cleaning helps to remove plaque and tartar around the gum line, preventing your gums from receding. 
• Eliminates the need for deep cleaning. Deep cleaning is a more involved procedure that often requires going beneath the gum line to remove plaque and bacteria. If plaque and tartar are left to build up, you may need additional interventions, such as tooth replacement, gum grafting, and bone grafting. 

Your teeth might look healthy, so how do you know if you need a dental cleaning? 

• Loose teeth. Loose teeth are usually a sign that the bone that holds and the tooth and the surrounding gum have withered away due to infection. Loose teeth, therefore, is a sign that you need regular cleaning to prevent further damage. 
• Bleeding gums. Bleeding gums are one of the first signs of plaque buildup. 
• Bad breath. Bad breath that won’t go away is often a sign of deep-seated infection. 
• Pain when you eat. Bacteria can weaken the structures that hold your teeth in place make chewing painful. 
• Receding gums. Your teeth look longer as bacteria eat away your gums.