Even with excellent brushing and flossing at home, plaque and tartar build up in areas that are simply impossible to reach without professional tools. A scale and polish removes this build-up thoroughly, significantly reducing your risk of cavities, gingivitis, and more advanced periodontal disease, keeping your teeth and gums healthier for longer between visits to our St Helier practice.

Surface staining from coffee, tea, red wine, and smoking accumulates gradually, often without you noticing until it's pointed out. A professional scale and polish lifts these stains and restores a natural brightness to your smile that brushing alone can't achieve. For Jersey patients considering teeth whitening, a scale and polish is also an excellent first step that prepares your teeth for the best possible results.

Bad breath is most commonly caused by the bacteria found in plaque and tartar, not just what you've eaten. By removing buildup at the gumline and between teeth, a scale and polish can help with bad breath caused by plaque and tartar rather than masking it. The difference is noticeable immediately, and it's one of the most common things patients mention feeling after their appointment.

At New Street Dental, scale and polish treatments are carried out by our dedicated hygienist Päivi, who brings specialist training and a genuine passion for preventive dental care to every appointment. Regular hygiene visits with Päivi give you far more than a cleanl, they give you a personalised oral health plan, expert advice, and the confidence that your smile is in experienced hands right here in Jersey.

Experiencing mild, temporary tooth sensitivity to hot, cold, or sweet foods and drinks is completely normal following a professional scale and polish. This short-lived sensation typically peaks within the first 24 to 48 hours after your appointment and quickly subsides as your mouth settles.

Experiencing mild gum tenderness, minor swelling, or a small amount of bleeding during brushing is a very common and normal response after a scale and polish. For almost all patients, these symptoms are short-lived and will naturally settle within a day or two as your soft tissues adapt and heal.

Most people find it comfortable. However, if you have a significant buildup of hardened tartar (calculus), particularly below the gumline, or if your gums are already sensitive and inflamed, you may experience mild discomfort during the procedure.

The brilliant, smooth feeling of freshly polished teeth typically lasts as long as your daily oral hygiene routine can keep new plaque at bay, while the stain-removal benefits depend largely on your lifestyle habits. While a scale and polish removes stubborn tartar and surface stains from coffee, tea, or red wine, it does not permanently stain-proof your enamel.

Your scale and polish is £78, carried out during a hygienist appointment of up to 30 minutes with our hygienist, Päivi. That covers removing the plaque and tartar that brushing can't remove, polishing away surface stains, a check of your gum health, and practical advice tailored to you. It all happens here at our St Helier practice, and we'll always be clear on the price before your visit.

For most people with healthy gums, a scale and polish every six months keeps things in good shape. If you're prone to a build-up of tartar, or you've had gum problems in the past, you may benefit from coming a little more often, around every three to four months. Keeping to a regular routine also means each appointment stays quick and straightforward, rather than needing more work to catch up.

A scale and polish lifts surface stains from things like coffee, tea, and red wine, so your teeth often look noticeably brighter afterwards. It's worth knowing that this isn't the same as teeth whitening, which changes the actual shade of the tooth rather than just cleaning the surface. If a whiter smile is your goal, a scale and polish makes an excellent first step, giving whitening the cleanest possible base to work from.

A regular scale and polish is one of the simplest ways to protect your teeth and gums, catching the early signs of decay and gum disease before they turn into something bigger and more costly. It pairs naturally with your routine check-up, so many patients book the two together. To arrange your scale and polish, call us on 01534 500095.