You can expect your dental cleaning to last between 30 minutes to an hour. Typically, a trained hygienist will do the cleaning, and a dentist may come in for an exam at the end. Most people find that dental cleanings are painless, and do not cause any discomfort. There are two important steps to a dental cleaning.

The first step is polishing to remove the plaque.  The second step is scaling the teeth, whereby the hygienist will remove tartar from the tooth surfaces. This can be performed by hand or with electric scaler.  Finally, the doctor will perform an exam to ensure your teeth are healthy.