Have you ever gone to the dentist for a regular cleaning only to be met by a much more expensive cost of a dental cleaning? While this type of cleaning may seem a bit pricey, there are many good reasons why you need to bear dental cleaning cost over regular teeth cleaning cost, which is at the lower end.
So before jumping straight into how much is a dental cleaning, let’s get familiar with a dental cleaning and its procedure.
What is a dental cleaning?
Dental deep cleaning or Periodontal Therapy generally involves two practices: scaling and root planing. The treatment is vital for treating gum recession, loss of attachment, and averting tooth loss because of severe gum infections.
Scaling is a part of regular dental cleaning – which is the average oral hygiene treatment in the US. At the same time, root planing is the practice that converts regular cleaning into deep cleaning. During this process, the dentist levels your tooth’s roots, helping the gums reattach to the tooth.
Types of Dental deep cleaning
The cost of teeth cleaning depends on what kind of treatment you’re choosing. There are several types of teeth cleaning treatment, depending on your age and oral health condition. Four common types of teeth cleanings are:
1 Child Teeth Cleaning
Visit the dentist for a checkup of children when they’re six months old or after their first tooth eruption. Once they turn three or four years old, they will need regular teeth cleanings every six months.
2 Adult Teeth Cleaning
Adults need to visit the dentist twice a year for regular teeth cleaning. During the treatment, the dentist will remove tartar, bacteria, and plaque with a scalar.
3 deep cleaning
A deep cleaning helps to treat gum disease. This treatment cleans between teeth, gums, and roots. Sometimes, the dentist may use a local anesthetic to numb the gums and roots.
4 Periodontal Maintenance
Periodontal maintenance is a specialized tooth cleaning treatment. It fights the progressing periodontal disease. During this procedure, the dentist removes tartar and plaque developed around the gum line.
When is a deep cleaning performed?
Your saliva contains calcium and other vital substances necessary to protect your teeth. It circulates inside your mouth and is frequently in contact with your teeth. However, it can create some calcium deposits known as “tartar” – on the teeth.
Tartar serves as a perfect environment for bacterial growth, which can further spread close to your gums. Thus, your dentist will spot and remove them through a deep cleaning procedure. So that the bacteria doesn’t stick on your teeth and gums.
How long does a dental cleaning take?
A dental cleaning procedure takes about 30 to 60 minutes. A dental hygienist performs most of the regular teeth cleaning procedures in a dentist’s office. However, if it’s a deep cleaning, you’ve to undergo routine teeth cleaning followed by your dentist’s deep cleaning.
Dental Cleaning Procedure
Even though the cleaning time may vary from one dentist to the other, you can expect the following steps in your deep cleaning procedure:
- A Primary Inspection
Dentist or dental hygienist will basically examine your gums and teeth. During this inspection, they will see any sign of trouble such as gingivitis (inflamed gums), dark spots (potential cavities), and gum infection.
- X-rays
In this step, your dentist will take x-rays of your mouth and teeth. This safe, quick process alerts a dentist to various oral problems, including:
- Tooth decay
- Oral abnormalities
- Cysts and tumors
- Bone loss
- Gum diseases
- Teeth movement
During a dental/teeth cleaning, your dentist will provide you diagnostic as well as preventive.
The diagnostic services might include:
- Screening of oral cancer
- Examining your gum tissues
- X-rays for any tooth decay
- Checking your chewing, swallowing, and biting patterns
The preventive services might include:
- Tartar & plaque removal
- Sealants
- Stain removal
- Fluoride application
- Adjusting and cleaning dentures and partial dentures
- Teeth polishing, including fillings and dental crowns
Do deep teeth cleanings hurt?
For most people, dental deep cleaning isn’t painful. But your teeth may hurt after cleaning. Some don’t feel pain, particularly those whose gum pockets are not too deep. They feel little or no discomfort at all during and after cleaning, even without sedation.
However, some patients experienced pain after deep cleaning teeth. Periodontal cleaning pain often depends on the depth of periodontal pockets and how severe the root surface irregularity is. In other words, you may experience sore gums after dental cleaning if your periodontal pockets are quite profound.
Patients should be aware that they can experience teeth sore after cleaning, but it’s mostly bearable. Also, several options are widely available to reduce any form of tooth sensitivity or toothache after cleaning. Rinsing the mouth with salt water can help eliminate the swelling or jaw pain after a dental cleaning.
Post-procedure symptoms, such as bleeding, gum pain, and teeth sensitivity, should not persist beyond one week. These symptoms will get better gradually with time, provided the patient takes recommended instructions of deep cleaning aftercare. General discomfort usually stops within a day or two for most patients. However, if the pain persists, there are various ways to relieve pain after teeth cleaning.
How to relieve pain after a dental cleaning?
The good news is that if you’re scared of the pain or have a form of dental anxiety, your dentist can numb the area completely using injectable anesthetics or an anesthetic gel. There’s also the option of sleep dentistry for the entire deep cleaning procedure. You’ll be in deep slumber and unable to feel all the action going on in your mouth. So you don’t have to worry about feeling pain, thanks to local anesthetics.
It is important to note that whatever pain happens during the deep gum cleaning procedure can be appropriately managed. The periodontist handling the process can prevent or reduce discomfort by breaking down the course into multiple stages.
So what if pain occurs after a dental cleaning?
Fortunately, you can take the following steps to relieve teeth and gum pain after your cleaning:
- Change your toothpaste to a toothpaste that is designed to relieve sensitivity.
- Rinse with lukewarm salt-water. This will help your gum tissue to heal faster, lowering the time of sensitivity after your deep teeth cleaning.
- Use a soft-bristled toothbrush. Avoid using medium or hard-bristled as it can worsen your teeth sensitivity.
- Drink warm honey water 2-3 times daily. It can help soothe your teeth and relieve pain immensely.
Feeling sensitivity or pain after deep cleaning is a common problem. However, you can follow these easy steps to relieve any discomfort. Moreover, your dentist may prescribe your pain-killers and medications that you need to take on time. Use this information, and you’ll be back to normal in no time.
How much should dental deep cleaning cost?
If you ask how much is a teeth cleaning, it is often on the lower end. The cost of cleaning teeth is between $50 and $150 on average. On the other hand, deep cleaning cost ranges between $150 and $350 per quadrant – depending on the customer’s dental condition. Active periodontal therapy consists of antimicrobial agents for gums. It can cost around $75 per tooth. While periodontal maintenance (which is performed after active therapy treatment) can cost approximately $120.
As you now know the average cost of dental deep cleaning, what factors affect dental deep cleaning’s cost?
Factors affecting the cost of deep dental cleaning
The following factors affect deep cleaning teeth’ cost:
- The technology used in the treatment
- Whether you’ve dental cleaning without insurancev
- Your insurance policy
- The dentist’s location
- The number of dental professionals involved in the treatment
- Frequency and type of treatment
- Follow-up care after the treatment
Note: consider consulting with your insurer to discuss what actions your insurance plan covers. Whether the insurance plan covers the cost or not, it does not prevent the need for deep cleaning treatment.
How much does a dental cleaning cost with insurance and without insurance
How much do teeth cleaning cost with insurance?
In some cases, the dental cleaning cost covered in your insurance policy is lower than teeth cleaning costs without insurance. However, dental insurance isn’t always a great deal if you’ve to pay for coverage yourself. If you’re unemployed, finding affordable dental insurance can be tricky. The same is the case when your current employer doesn’t provide dental insurance.
Furthermore, dental insurance can be complicated by pre-existing conditions. While your insurance policy might cover regular teeth cleaning costs, you could still wind up with big bills for procedures that your insurance won’t cover.
Dental cleaning costs without insurance:
Many ways can help you cover your dental cleaning without insurance. We’ve mentioned them below to help you deal with deep cleaning cost without insurance:
Dental schools
Treatment at dental school is an excellent way for affordable and quality teeth cleaning care. Clinics in dental schools allow dental students to treat patients at a reasonable cost while gaining experience. All dental students in such clinics are supervised by a professional with vast dentistry experience.
State health programs
Your local health branch may offer teeth cleaning programs at reduced or free of cost in your area. Contact your state health department for further information about their dental health programs.
Dental discount offers
Considering a dental discount offer is an alternative to dental insurance. Many discount plans help you save between 15% and 50% of your teeth cleaning cost.
Schedule a Consultation
Whether it’s been six months or six years since your last dental visit, make an appointment with our dental office, and call (281)477-7200. We are confident that you will enjoy our deep dental cleaning service at a much affordable price and more comfortable environment. At Pearl Shine Dental, our goal is to help you maintain the perfect oral health and give you a healthy smile that you can be proud to show off.