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Scale and Polish

  • 21-02-2017 01:02PM
    #1
    learn_more
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,520 ✭✭✭


    Today I went to a dentist whom I hadn't been to before for a routine scale and polish. My appointment was at 11:15 and I was at the desk paying by 11:36. I'm not even sure how long I was waiting, it felt like 3 to 5 minutes. Anyhow I felt I was in the sugary for not much more than 12 minutes.

    I'm a heavy smoker and coffee drinker. My gums to my mind are in a bad way although the dentist said they were not too bad.

    The last time I had them cleaned (with smiles in July) I had to go twice to get them cleaned thoroughly. I timed the second session and I felt she did about half and hours work. They were really bad then as I hadn't been for almost 2 years.

    I'm at home now writing this post 45 minutes after appointment time.

    What would be the average time one would expect to spend in surgery to do a scale and polish adequately?


Comments

  • #2
    learn_more
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,520 ✭✭✭learn_more


    I should also add that usually after a cleaning my mouth would feel rather raw and would take a hour or two to settle down but I felt no discomfort at all after this latest session.

    The assistant looked like she was about 70 years old and slightly stooped. She kept sucking up my tongue constantly about 10 times and I kept having to pull it back. Which seems like a basic error for someone you'd expect to be quite experienced, at her age.

    Also when I rinsed there would usually be a fair bit of blood due to my gums being inflamed but I didn't see any when I spat the rinse out.

    I was really hoping for a throughout clean as I can't stand anymore the feeling of my gums being swollen and constantly feeling them with the tip of my tongue. I had vowed to give up the smokes after the clean as I had given up the booze since January mainly because of the state of my gums.

    Should I go to another dentist and get them looked at again? I have to get a filling anyway in another couple of weeks when my medical card comes through.


  • #3
    Dianthus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 933 ✭✭✭Dianthus


    Average time to complete a scale and polish properly- completely dependant on the patient in question. Literally anything from 5 minutes to 60 minutes.
    Seeing as you're a heavy smoker& coffee drinker, it's likely you fall into the latter category. Your first visit today may have something as basic as the receptionist blindly booking a standard 20minute time slot, and the dentist wanting to avoid any aggro involved in recommending a 2nd visit at an extra charge to you.

    It's quite rare for a patient to *want* to experience discomfort after a cleaning, and also to prefer to see blood on rinsing! Especially on a first visit, it wouldn't be a practice builder or a nice experience for the majority of patients ;) The general advice would be for patients themselves to reduce the swelling& inflammation as much as possible in advance of their cleaning visit (electric toothbrush, daily flossing). Everything is more comfortable, visibility is better (no bloodbath!), & healing is quicker.

    The issue with the dental nurse and the suction- a bit irritating, might have simply been the power of the suction unit, or just her.

    Anyway, from start to finish, for various reasons, it doesn't look to have been a satisfactory experience. So I'd say to go elsewhere. But to have an initial checkup first& communicate fully with the next dentist- as in, I'd like a really really thorough clean, I don't mind pain during or afterwards, and I'd like you to book me in for 30/40/60 minutes- whatever it takes- in order to achieve same.


  • #4
    learn_more
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,520 ✭✭✭learn_more


    Dianthus wrote: »
    Average time to complete a scale and polish properly- completely dependant on the patient in question. Literally anything from 5 minutes to 60 minutes.
    Seeing as you're a heavy smoker& coffee drinker, it's likely you fall into the latter category. Your first visit today may have something as basic as the receptionist blindly booking a standard 20minute time slot, and the dentist wanting to avoid any aggro involved in recommending a 2nd visit at an extra charge to you.

    It's quite rare for a patient to *want* to experience discomfort after a cleaning, and also to prefer to see blood on rinsing! Especially on a first visit, it wouldn't be a practice builder or a nice experience for the majority of patients ;) The general advice would be for patients themselves to reduce the swelling& inflammation as much as possible in advance of their cleaning visit (electric toothbrush, daily flossing). Everything is more comfortable, visibility is better (no bloodbath!), & healing is quicker.

    The issue with the dental nurse and the suction- a bit irritating, might have simply been the power of the suction unit, or just her.

    Anyway, from start to finish, for various reasons, it doesn't look to have been a satisfactory experience. So I'd say to go elsewhere. But to have an initial checkup first& communicate fully with the next dentist- as in, I'd like a really really thorough clean, I don't mind pain during or afterwards, and I'd like you to book me in for 30/40/60 minutes- whatever it takes- in order to achieve same.

    Yeah that's a good tip there in your last paragraph. I just assumed the dentist would do whatever was required in one session. I wasn't thinking about his next appointments.

    Actually I had been using an electric toothbrush with some baking powder and almond oil paste for a week or so before the appointment. Hydrogen Peroxide rinse too, both things every other day. Perhaps that did make a difference.


  • #5
    ballsymchugh
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,940 ✭✭✭ballsymchugh


    learn_more wrote: »
    Yeah that's a good tip there in your last paragraph. I just assumed the dentist would do whatever was required in one session. I wasn't thinking about his next appointments.

    Actually I had been using an electric toothbrush with some baking powder and almond oil paste for a week or so before the appointment. Hydrogen Peroxide rinse too, both things every other day. Perhaps that did make a difference.


    maybe you're just keeping on top of things better since the 2 visits to <that place that won't be mentioned> in July?

    save your money, it's the brush on it's own, just use a regular fluoride toothpaste. the rinse is popular with hygienists all the same.


  • #6
    bureau2009
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 693 ✭✭✭bureau2009


    Thanks to my dentist's advice and brushing and flossing technique demonstrations I am able to keep my teeth very very clean.

    However, when I go for a scale and polish he always uses the full 30 minutes to work on every tooth (which I am very happy about.)

    Previous dentists I attended just whizzed around for a few minutes and said "you're grand".

    I have long maintained that dentistry is all about standards and standards are clearly variable.


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  • #7
    learn_more
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,520 ✭✭✭learn_more


    I was discussing this with a friend last night and he said that it sounds like he didn't go below the gum-line which explains why the session was so short, had little discomfort and no blood. Makes sense. Anyway off to smiles in Galway to Smiles or even Dublin from now on. I'm fed up of trying to find a good dentist in my local area.


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