Does professional tooth cleaning cause pain?

Our dentists in our practice in Kiel often hear this question. People with sensitive teeth or previous negative experiences are particularly unsure.
The honest answer: in most cases, teeth cleaning is not painful.
But as always in dentistry: it depends on the individual case.

Normally, the neck of the tooth is covered by gums – and therefore well protected. However, if the gums have receded or are inflamed, treatment can irritate individual areas. This is particularly the case:

• Exposed tooth necks
• inflamed gums (e.g. with periodontitis)
• Lots of tartar or hard plaque
• Generally high sensitivity to pain

Such situations can be easily recognized in the preliminary discussion – and specifically taken into account.

Today, professional teeth cleaning is carried out using modern, very gentle methods. In our practice, for example, we use:

• Powder blasting devices with fine glycine powder (Airflow)
• low-noise ultrasound with as little pressure as possible
• Hand instruments, if desired
• Anesthetic gel, if necessary (especially for exposed tooth necks)

We also ask questions regularly during the treatment – and react immediately if something is not pleasant, so that you receive a gentle and thorough dental cleaning.

Good preparation can also help:

• Use sensitive toothpaste 1 week before the appointment
• Don’t cancel out of fear – regular PZR usually makes the treatment much more pleasant
• Inform us briefly if problems have already occurred in the past – this enables better planning