Measured diagram
What happens during a professional teeth cleaning?
The gum check comes first; the dye then shows the plaque, the ultrasonic tip lifts the tartar and air polishing lifts stain, plaque and the dye. Thick plaque takes the darker colour; the colour says little about its age.
What the drawing is measured from
- The plaque dye: in a randomised trial of 32 patients, a cleaning guided by the dye left 6.1% of the gum-side surface with plaque against 12.0% without it. The dye's colours mostly show how thick the plaque is, not its age (Volgenant 2016). DOI 1
- Using an ultrasonic tip: the side of the last 1 to 2 mm is held close to parallel to the tooth with light pressure (maker's instructions; root damage was least at angles close to 0 degrees, Flemmig 1998). The tip moves only about 5 to 44 micrometres (Lea 2003). DOI 2
- Powders and restorations: across 42 laboratory studies, erythritol and glycine were the least abrasive powders on fillings and crowns, while sodium bicarbonate and calcium carbonate roughened them more. DOI 3
- Healthy gum anatomy: the gum edge sits about 1 mm above the enamel's edge and healthy gums probe 1 to 3 mm (Woelfel's Dental Anatomy). Under a groove about 0.7 mm deep lie about 1 mm of attaching epithelium and 1 mm of fibres above the bone, Gargiulo's autopsy means, which vary from person to person. DOI 4
- The European guideline (EFP S3): the aim is no pocket deeper than 4 mm that bleeds and none of 6 mm or more; sites are re-assessed after healing; hand or powered instruments, or both; supportive care every 3 to at most 12 months. DOI 5
- The tooth: a lower central incisor in section, crown 9.5 mm and root 12.5 mm (Wheeler's Dental Anatomy, Table 7.1), with the lip side on the left. Pockets and openings are drawn slightly open so they can be seen; no number on the drawing is a measurement of one person.
Use this diagram
Free to use, including commercially, with credit.
This diagram is published under CC BY 4.0. You may reproduce it in articles, teaching material, presentations and patient information, print or online, without asking. The one condition is that you credit Dr. Khalid Aletaibi and link back to this page.
It is published this way on purpose. The measurement in this drawing is not something the people selling the treatment tend to publish, so it is more useful spread than kept.
Credit line
Your cleaning, step by step. Dr. Khalid Aletaibi, CC BY 4.0. https://khalidaletaibi.com/en/diagrams/dental-cleaning-steps
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Your cleaning, step by step. <a href="https://khalidaletaibi.com/en/diagrams/dental-cleaning-steps">Dr. Khalid Aletaibi</a>,
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