Professional dental cleanings at 20 Finch Dental are performed by our registered dental hygienists (RDHs) and take approximately 45 to 60 minutes. We recommend cleanings every six months, though patients with gum disease or a history of heavy buildup may benefit from more frequent visits. Your cleaning appointment includes scaling, polishing, a full oral exam, and a conversation about anything we notice — no surprises.

A routine dental cleaning should include scaling, root planing and polishing. Scaling and root planing is the process of removing plaque and tartar from all tooth surfaces with a variety of methods, depending on the amount of plaque and tartar. Dental hygienists traditionally perform scaling by hand. However, new and advanced technology has led to more modern methods such as electric scalers. This sophisticated tool allows dental cleanings to be performed more efficiently and in less time. Both electric and manual scaling methods can be combined to achieve the best results. Polishing completes the cleaning, making the surface of the teeth smooth and minimizing future plaque build-up.