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Why weren’t my teeth polished?

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When I was driving home from my cleaning, I noticed that my teeth didn’t look shiny and fresh as they normally due after a cleaning. I don’t think the dental hygienist polished my teeth. Isn’t that usually part of the cleaning during the appointment? Should I call and complain?

- Betsy in Nebraska

Betsy,

You pose an interesting question because tooth polishing has actually been a controversial topic within dentistry for the last 30 years or so. That said, it is pretty routine for a dental hygienist to polish a patient’s teeth are scaling during a routine exam. In dental school, students are taught to do selective polishing. This is the recommendation moving forward. This is mainly due to some researching that shows that polishing actually can damage four micrometers of the surface of the teeth in only 30 seconds of polishing. So if polishing is done too frequently, than the surface can erode from the fluoride rich enamel surface levels. You also may not realize that your saliva actually has minerals in it to re-mineralize the surfaces.

A cosmetic dentist can take care of your regular preventive maintenance, but also has a keen artistic eye in giving you recommendations for the best aesthetic looking smile. So if a polished, shiny smile is something you desire, there are cosmetic dentistry treatments that can do amazing things to improve appearance.

What happened in your case is likely that the hygienist determined that you didn’t have enough staining to warrant a polishing. This is because polishing typically is used to remove stains that can be seen on the enamel or on restoration treatments. Hand tools, as well as air polishers, and even ultrasonic tool help to remove the stains that are left behind by your everyday eating and drinking habits like coffee, tea, and red wine.

At your next visit, simply ask the dentist about his or her opinion on the matter. If this is important to you, your hygienist will likely move forward with polishing.

Keep up your regular visits to maintain your most healthy, beautiful smile.

This post is sponsored by West Palm Beach dentist The Sadati Center for Aesthetic Dentistry.


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