Teeth cleaning is part of oral hygiene and involves the removal of dental plaque from teeth with the intention of preventing cavities, gingivitis and periodontal diseases. People routinely clean their own teeth by brushing and inter dental cleaning. Tooth polishing is the act of smoothing the tooth surface. The purpose of polishing is to make it difficult for plaque to accumulate on the tooth surface area which is accumulated due to bacterial infection.. .The traditional method in tooth polishing includes the use of trophy cup which is a small motorized rubber cup along with an abrasive polishing compound.
Prophy jet an all purpose cleaner
Prophy jet is an air polishing prophylaxis system which uses air, water, and either sodium bicarbonate or non-sodium powder as a slurry to remove extrinsic stain, dental plaque and soft debris while simultaneously polishing tooth surfaces. It is a high tech instrument that dentists have been using for years. The Prophy Jet sprays high pressured water to flush away plaque deposits. Baking soda acts as a cleansing substance to remove extrinsic tooth stains caused by foods, drinks or smoking. Aluminum Trihydroxide is an alternative solution to the sodium bicarbonate for patients who are sodium restricted and have heavily stained enamel. Avoid use on dentin, cementum and restorative restorations.
Prophy Jet polishing is recommended before you undergo for dental bracing. Cleaning up the teeth and remove debris and plaque lessens the chances of irritants trapping under the dental appliances. Prophy-Jet polishing is used to remove surface stains before you dental bracing.
During Prophy-Jet polishing, only soft deposits and some extrinsic stains are removed from the teeth. Scaling and root planning will be needed to remove hard deposits such as dental calculus from the surface of the teeth and under the gum line. Prophy-Jet won’t remove tooth discoloration that comes from inside the tooth which is caused by genetics, dental florosis or trauma to the tooth stains which have a better chance of being removed through other cosmetic dentistry methods such as veneers.
Benefits of prophy jet over traditional techniques
- Prophy jet polishing is more effective.
- It uses a water soluble sodium bicarbonate mixture to help in the removal of stain and plaque.
- It helps in the removal of stain due to smoking, coffee, tea, peridex, and other extrinsic factors.
- It also minimizes hand, wrist, neck and eye fatigue by helping to remove stain quicker than scaling and polishing done in the traditional way.
- You can use Prophy-Je to remove deposits from your dental applications such as dentures, orthodontic appliance, mouth guard or night guard.
Incorporating dental cleanings into your oral hygiene routine is essential to maintain good dental health and prophy jet being a high tech alternative to traditional methods of teeth polishing is beneficial.