After that, they'll use a manual instrument called a scaler or a curette to "fine tune" their work and "remove the small remaining pieces of tartar," Tom says.

Mosby, 2002. Wolf H F, Hassell T M. Periodontology: color atlas of dental hygiene. Thieme, 2006. Keeping the edge on scalers and curettes. Ash Instruments/Dentsply. Download references ...

Unlike a routine dental cleaning, the techniques used in a deep cleaning get below the gum line to remove bacteria stuck there. The procedure, which involves local anesthetic to temporarily numb ...