Ideally, dental visits for a professional cleaning and exams would take place twice a year. These procedures are essential and follow general American Dental Association recommendations. The most basic dental cleaning consist of your dentist examining teeth and gums. Then, any tartar present will be removed by an instrument known as a scaler. Once tartar has been removed, a professional hygienist will clean the teeth and polish enamel. Teeth will then be flossed professionally and a final oral rinse will complete the cleaning process.

Your hygienist may also examine your teeth for pocketing, which is when the space between teeth and gums is 5 millimetres or more. Ongoing gum inflammation can cause periodontists, eventually causing pockets to develop between your gums and teeth that fill with plaque, tartar and bacteria. In time, these pockets become deeper, filling with more bacteria. If the space is greater than 5mm, a deep cleaning may be recommended.

If a deep cleaning has been recommended, it is essential that these be carried out in an expedited manner to prevent further health complications.