Air Polishing: A Modern Approach to Improving Dental Stains

If you brush your teeth every day but still notice yellow or dark staining, you may be wondering why. Or perhaps your teeth look clean immediately after a professional cleaning, only for coffee, tea or smoking stains to return a few months later.

The problem may not be your brushing. In many cases, the natural colour of the teeth has not actually changed. Instead, external stains from coffee, tea, red wine, tobacco and other dark-coloured foods and drinks can build up on the tooth surface and are difficult to remove with regular brushing alone.

Traditional dental cleaning can remove plaque and tartar, but air polishing (also called air-flow polishing or air polishing therapy) can provide an additional way to remove surface stains and plaque, leaving teeth feeling smoother and looking cleaner.

Coffee, strong tea, red wine, tobacco and other dark-coloured drinks and foods can leave pigments on the surface of the teeth. Over time, these can make teeth appear increasingly yellow or dark.

Bacteria in the mouth form a sticky film called plaque. If plaque is not removed effectively, it can harden into tartar.

Tartar and plaque can affect more than the appearance of your teeth. They are also associated with problems such as:

Regular professional dental cleaning is therefore about more than having a brighter smile, it is an important part of maintaining oral health.

Air polishing uses a controlled stream of air, water and very fine polishing powder directed onto the tooth surface.

It can help remove:

Air polishing is often used together with ultrasonic scaling as part of a professional dental cleaning.

Ultrasonic scaling uses gentle vibrations to remove tartar and other hard deposits.

Air polishing uses a pressurised air-and-water spray containing fine powder to remove surface staining and plaque, including deposits around grooves, between teeth and along the gumline.

In simple terms, ultrasonic scaling helps remove the hard deposits, while air polishing helps remove the stains and biofilm left on the tooth surface.

Used together when appropriate, they can leave teeth feeling cleaner, smoother and looking brighter.

This is a common concern, but when performed correctly by a dental professional using the appropriate equipment and powder, air polishing is designed to clean the tooth surface while minimising unnecessary abrasion.

Modern air-polishing systems use very fine powders. For example, our professional system uses powders with particle sizes of approximately 40 micrometres for supragingival cleaning and 25 micrometres for subgingival cleaning.

For comparison, a human hair is approximately 60-80 micrometres in diameter.

The appropriate powder and technique depend on where cleaning is required and the patient's individual oral health.

Air polishing is not the same as tooth whitening, however. It removes external stains and deposits, allowing your natural tooth colour to show more clearly rather than changing the intrinsic colour of the teeth.

At Am-Sino Healthcare, our dental team uses modern technology that combines several cleaning functions.

Your dentist or dental hygienist will determine which combination of techniques is appropriate for your teeth and gums.

Air polishing may be particularly useful for people who:

People with sensitive teeth may also find modern air-polishing techniques more comfortable than they expect. However, sensitivity has many possible causes, so persistent or significant sensitivity should be assessed by a dental professional.

For most people, a professional cleaning every 6-12 months is appropriate. However, the ideal interval depends on your own specific situation.

People who smoke, have significant staining, or require periodontal maintenance may benefit from more frequent professional cleaning.

Your dentist can recommend a schedule based on your individual needs.

Air polishing can be a useful part of professional dental cleaning, particularly for removing external stains and plaque. It is not a replacement for daily brushing and flossing, and it does not treat every dental problem.

If you are concerned about staining, bleeding gums, bad breath, sensitivity or tartar, a dental examination can help determine what type of cleaning is most appropriate for you.