A bright and confident smile is desired by nearly everyone, and one of the most common questions patients ask their dentist has to do with whether or not dental cleanings whiten teeth. Cleanings are vital to overall oral hygiene, but will they benefit the appearance of your smile? This article will focus on the benefits and limitations of professional cleaning’s for your teeth and why cleanings are important in every person’s oral care.
What Occurs in a Dental Cleaning?
Before clarifying whether dental cleanings whiten teeth, it’s worth understanding what doesn’t in the process. Generally, when you book dental cleanings near you, your hygienist looks to do the following:
1) Removal of plaque and tartar – Your hygienist removes plaque and hardened tartar buildup you can’t accomplish with home brushing and flossing using specific tools.
2) Deep cleaning and polishing – After removing tartar / calculus, your teeth will be polished with gritty paste, which will shine surface enamel to try and minimize stains.
3) Flossing and rinsing – The hygienist flossses your teeth to remove debris then clears the mouth to leave it fresh and clean.
4) Fluoride treatment (may be included) – In most cleanings there is fluoride included to help strengthen tooth enamel and protect against cavities.
The entire process has the goal of making the teeth healthy and keeping the gums free from infection.
Do Dental Cleanings Improve Teeth Whitening?
Although dental cleanings do not refer to teeth whitening treatment, they will help to make for a cleaner and brighter smile in a couple of ways:
1. Removing Surface Stains – Everyday foods and beverages such as coffee, tea, wine, and even some sauces will stain teeth over time. The polishing step in a dental cleaning will help remove many surface stains and thus, make your teeth whiter.
2. Brighter Smile by Removing Tartar – Professional dental cleanings can remove tartar, which almost always is yellow or brown, and can make your smile look duller than it is. Once the tartar is removed, your enamel will look cleaner and brighter.
3. Restoring Your Natural Brightness – A dental cleaning may not drastically decrease the shade of your teeth, but it will at least restore your enamel to its natural brightness.
That said, whitening treatments cannot change the internal color of your teeth. Internal discolouration can happen from factors such as genetics, age, and medications, meaning you would require whitening treatment to improve the appearance of your teeth.
Dental Cleaning vs. Teeth Whitening
Many people confuse dental cleanings with whitening, but they really are two entirely different procedures:
- Dental Cleaning: The emphasis is on cleaning your teeth, removing all plaque, tartar, and stains to improve your oral health. Whitening is not the main focus, but it does often restore some brightness to your teeth.
- Professional Teeth Whitening: Works by using whitening / bleaching agents that lighten the natural color of your enamel. Depending on the level of discoloration, professional whitening can lighten your teeth by multiple shades, often in one visit.
You can think of dental cleaning as the standard part of oral care. It guarantees that the teeth and gums are healthy, and whitening is considered the more cosmetic choice for improving how bright and white your smile will be.
Why skipping your dental cleanings is a bad idea.
Even if you’re primarily worried about your teeth’s whiteness, skipping dental cleanings is always a bad decision. Here’s why making regular appointments is so important:
- Prevention of Gum Disease – Left untreated, plaque and tartar can result in inflammation of the gums, followed by gingivitis, and eventual further concerns, including periodontitis.
- Overall Health Protection – Studies are continually being researched on the possible correlations of oral health and overall health, as it relates to heart disease and diabetes, etc.
- Early Recognition of Dental Problems – During cleanings, a dentist is able to look for cavities, cracks, or teachable moments in the form of oral cancer signs.
- Long-term Savings – Preventive care always saves and minimizes the chance of developing costly treatments later.
- While dental cleaning appointments alone will not dramatically whiten your teeth, they keep your smile healthy, strong, and looking great.
How often should I get a dental cleaning?
Many dentists will advise you to get a professional cleaning at least two times a year. If you suffer from gum disease, build tartar quickly, or have heavy staining from beverages like coffee or tobacco the recommendations may be more frequent, anywhere from 3 to 4 times a year.
If you’re unsure, you can always ask a dentist close to you about their recommendation based on your oral health and lifestyle habits.
Ways to keep your teeth white between appointments
Even though cleanings can brighten the teeth, our habits and daily activities have a much bigger impact on the brightness of our teeth. You can do many things to keep your teeth nice and white; here are some fantastic ideas:
- Limit stain-causing foods and drinks: Foods like coffee, tea, red wine and dark berries are all stain causing foods that can contribute to a darker smile.
- Quit smoking: Tobacco has one of the highest contributions to yellow and brown stains on your teeth.
- Brush and floss every day: Good hygiene habits help prevent plaque buildup that can contribute to stains.
- Rinse after you eat: Sometimes a quick rinse with some water can help wash away stain causing particles before they settle on your teeth.
- Use whitening toothpaste: These products aren’t as potent as professional whitening, but they can help provide some maintenance for the whites in your smile.
When to Use Professional Whitening
If you would like a whitening effect that is far greater than what could ever be performed through professional dental cleaning or an at-home kit, then professional whitening treatment is the best route. An experienced dentist in Waterloo will evaluate your teeth and be able to recommend something safe and effective based on your personal teeth. Professional whitening gives you supervised, reliable and considerable results vs. using an at-home kit.
Conclusion: Invest in a Healthy, Radiant Smile
So, do dental cleanings whiten teeth? The answer is yes, to some extent. Cleanings will remove plaque, tartar, and surface stains, allowing your teeth to look brighter and healthier. However, if you want significant whitening you’ll want to consider professional whitening.
At Tooth Culture Dental, we want our patients to have both a healthy mouth and a beautiful smile! No matter what you are looking for whether it is dental cleanings near you or considering your whitening options, we can help you every step of the way. Book your appointment today and find out how we can achieve the bright smile you’ve always wanted!
