When’s the last time you had your teeth professionally cleaned?

Good oral hygiene habits are essential in maintaining a healthy mouth. Professional scale and cleans are a major component to achieving excellent oral hygiene. It is recommended to have your teeth professionally cleaned twice a year to ensure your teeth and gums are maintained in good health.

Six monthly appointments are suggested as even with an excellent oral hygiene routine at home it’s impossible to remove it all, especially under the gum line where your toothbrush doesn’t reach. When plaque has been left for a time is calcifies and turns into calculus. These hard deposits cause inflammation and irritation to the gums and increase the risk of tooth decay.

A professional clean will remove these deposits and allow you to utilise the knowledge and skills of our Dental Hygienist, who will tailor treatment to your specific needs and help you achieve a high standard of dental health.

Here are some frequently asked questions regarding our professional cleaning treatment

What can I expect during my visit?

The ‘scale’ part of the procedure involves the Hygienist using an ultrasonic device which emits vibrations to loosen large areas of tartar. It also sprays a cooling mist which washes away the debris out from under the gums. Following this the Hygienist will use a series of hand tools called scalers to remove smaller deposits and ensure nothing is left behind, leaving your teeth feeling smooth and clean. Once your teeth are beautifully clean they are then polished.

Using a hand piece with a soft spinning rubber cup and some special paste the teeth are polished to look shiny and feel smooth. Finally the Hygienist will apply fluoride. Fluoride is essential at strengthening your teeth, especially areas of wear, recession and early signs of decay.

How much is a scale & polish?

At Dental 359, Rebecca our Dental Hygienist spends 50 minutes completing and thorough scale and clean for our patients, which costs $260 (includes fluoride treatment). During your initial appointment our Hygienist will recommend having x-rays taken to ensure in between each tooth is healthy as this will allow our team to see areas that are not visible when examining the mouth. These x-rays cost $65 each and in one appointment there is generally two taken. In some cases a more comprehensive x-ray called an OPG may be required which allows us to see all the teeth in their entirety, your jaw joints and other facial structures, this is taken at a fee of $190 and then only updated every 5 years.

Will my scale & polish be covered under my private health insurance?

The level of cover, and annual limits allocated to dental treatment/maintenance, under your health insurance policy will determine your rebate for each service. As there are many different health insurers and policies it is difficult for our team to provide an estimate on your rebate prior to your initial appointment. Our team can provide the item codes for the services that will be completed during your visit and this information can be taken to your health fund for an estimate prior.

Patient of Dr Golestani

Not sure if you need a professional scale and polish? That’s okay, book an obligation free consultation with our team. Give us a call on 1300 625 625 or fill out our form on our contact page.