Cleaning, Prophylaxis (Prophy)

• Overview: Often times, hygienists will do cleanings instead of your dentist, but it's still good to know what happens. Prophylaxis is preventative care to inhibit the formation of cavities. Basically, the dentist/hygienist removes any tartar/calculus that's built up on someones teeth, that cannot be removed by routine brushing/flossing. After using the cavitron to scale, they will use scalars to hand scale (scaling is the action of removing buildup) what was missed by the cavitron. Some people will get anesthetized for this because it can be painful/sensitive if the gums are inflamed. Afterwards, they will apply a coarse paste with a prophy angle/slowspeed handpiece to polish the teeth. 
• Instruments: mirror & explorer, perio probe, prophy angle, prophy paste, slowspeed, cavitron + cavitron attachment, scalars, gauze, floss
• You: The cavitron is an ultrasonic scalar that uses vibrations to remove calculus. It shoots out water to keep the tooth/instrument cool and wash away debris. That means theres a lot of water in the patients mouth, so your job is usually to follow the cavitron with a high volume suction, and just suction with a saliva ejector. When they're hand scaling, you can hold out a piece of gauze (don't get poked though!) they can wipe off the yucky stuff.