The Ultrasonic Tooth Cleaning Experience That Left Me Shaken

I'll never forget my recent ultrasonic tooth cleaning experience. It's still sinking in, but I'll walk you through what happened. I'm smiling with confidence – all 32 teeth, that is!

Why I went for this procedure?

I went to my dentist for a routine checkup, and they gave me a clean bill of health – no cavities, but I did need a cleaning. I remembered doing this procedure three years ago, and it wasn't painful at all (as it turned out, they only used air-flow back then). I had a positive experience, so I wasn't nervous at all until I sat down in the dentist's chair...

My teeth before the procedure

I'm generally happy with my teeth. I had braces for three years, but some of my teeth still shifted a bit. However, it's better than it was initially. The dentist said I don't have any cavities, just one tooth that's a bit questionable – but it's not urgent, so I'll wait until it hurts before getting it checked. I've been keeping up with my dental appointments and changing my fillings on time.

I have a bit of tartar buildup on my front teeth, which is pretty normal, I guess.

My teeth before the ultrasonic cleaning

Before

The ultrasonic cleaning procedure

So, I'm sitting in the dentist's chair, feeling pretty good, when the dentist asks me if I have any allergies to anesthesia. I look at him with a puzzled expression and ask, 'Wait, you're going to numb my gums?'

He replies, 'Well, I can do it without an injection, but most people can't handle the procedure without anesthesia.' Okay, I thought, I wasn't prepared for this either physically or mentally. There's no going back, so I decided to tough it out and hope it wouldn't be too painful...

I have to say, the actual injections weren't that bad, but they did hurt a bit, especially when they hit my front teeth.

Right after the injection, the dentist got straight to work on cleaning my teeth, which wasn't exactly what I was hoping for - I thought I'd get to sit there for a bit and wait for the anesthesia to kick in.

They put a gag in my mouth, exposed my teeth, and then the dentist started in on the cleaning.

He started with the upper jaw, doing an ultrasonic cleaning. At one point, he told me to let him know if it got too painful - and, yeah, I had to stifle a few groans.

The whole process was pretty unpleasant. Some of my teeth were super sensitive to the ultrasonic cleaner, and the dentist was super thorough, making sure to get all the plaque and tartar out. He even cleaned around my gumline, which made my gums start bleeding.

It took about 25-30 minutes, and then he moved on to the air-flow cleaning. That wasn't exactly pleasant after the ultrasonic cleaner had my gums all raw, but it was still less painful than the first part.

Finally, he finished up with a polish and a fluoride treatment. He applied a gritty paste to the polisher and went to work on each tooth, making sure they were all squeaky clean.

I have to say, I didn't have any major issues with the dentist during the cleaning process, but their assistant was a different story. I was sitting in the chair, white-knuckling it, and there were moments when I had to grit my teeth through the pain because the dentist was hitting my gums a bit too hard. I felt tears welling up in my eyes, and then this woman chimes in with: 'Oh, what a nasty color the paste is mixed with blood.' The dentist didn't say anything, but I thought to myself, 'Thanks for sharing that.' And then she asks me if I fell asleep in the chair. Um, no, I'm wide awake. It was like she was talking to me in a condescending tone, like I should be grateful she squeezed me in between her busy schedule.

The end of the procedure was a real nail-biter.

Just when I thought it was almost over, the dentist used hydrogen peroxide to treat my gums. That was the final straw for me. I was already exhausted from trying to endure the pain, and I just wanted it to be over. I was thinking, 'Just a few more minutes, and it'll be done.' I was not looking forward to coming back.

But, of course, I probably will come back when it's absolutely necessary.

On a related note, the procedure left its mark on me, and I won't forget it anytime soon.

Cost of the procedure

I went to a private clinic in Voronezh, where I've been going since 2009.

I paid 6190 rubles. What's interesting is that they didn't charge me the full amount. The receipt said I was paying for the removal of supragingival and subgingival deposits in one quadrant, but they ended up doing it in four quadrants. Maybe it was a mistake, or maybe the dentist just felt sorry for me. I'll never know for sure.

My teeth after

As you can see from the photo, my gums were pretty swollen and bleeding, but they healed up within three days.

Teeth after ultrasonic cleaning One of the nice surprises was that my teeth actually looked a bit whiter after the ultrasonic cleaning. The dentist and my friends even noticed the difference. But, man, the gums were a different story – they were super sensitive.

I had to avoid eating or drinking anything colorful for 2-3 days after the procedure, or my teeth might stain. But, I'm a sucker for sweets, so I had a chocolate bar the next day – and, weirdly, my teeth seemed fine.

The upper teeth had a bit less plaque, but it wasn't completely gone.

I put together a collage of before-and-after pics for a better look.

Care after ultrasonic cleaning

Trying to clean my teeth that night, I realized it was a bad idea. No matter how gentle I was with my toothbrush, I kept hitting my gums. I ended up using my finger to clean around them. It was like that for two days – the gums were super sensitive to the toothbrush. By the third day, I could finally clean normally. By the fourth day, the pain was almost gone.

For after-care, I bought a special toothpaste for enamel strengthening and mineralization. In general, I'm happy with this toothpaste – it didn't make my teeth more sensitive (maybe that's thanks to it), which is a common complaint about ultrasonic cleaning.

After three days of brushing my teeth with my fingers, I needed a bit of extra cleaning, so I picked up a cheap mouthwash.

I also made sure to swish with chlorhexidine at night. My doctor recommended it, and it seemed to take the edge off the pain.

My teeth a month after the ultrasonic cleaning

The initial whiteness wore off after a while, and my teeth went back to their natural color. I did have some issues with my upper teeth after two weeks, but that might've been nerves. Everything's good now.

TL;DR

+ It's a pretty effective procedure

+ It removes plaque and tartar

+ It's a good preventative measure against cavities

+ There is some whitening effect, but it's not long-lasting

- The procedure is absolutely brutal

- You'll need anesthesia

- Bleeding gums are a possibility after the procedure

I'd say the procedure is necessary for our teeth, but don't overdo it. Ultrasonic cleaning can actually damage your enamel, so find a competent dentist who can do it safely. Despite the pain I went through, I'd recommend it, but be prepared for a rough ride.

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions, feel free to ask!