A scale and polish cleans your teeth very thoroughly. Scaling removes the hard tartar which forms on your teeth like scale inside a kettle. You can't remove it just by brushing your teeth. Scaling also removes trapped food and plaque containing millions of germs, which can cause tooth decay and gum disease. Stains from coffee, tea, cigarettes or red wine are also cleaned away when your dentist polishes your teeth.
If your teeth are having deposition, not only it will look ugly, it will be infected and irritate your gums, which may further cause gingivitis (gums inflammation) and Periodontits (inflammation deep inside the gums). If this is unchecked, it may cause gum bleeding, pus discharge, bad breath and tooth loosening.
Ultrasonic Scalers is the device which is used for cleaning the deposition from the teeth. Along with this hand instruments are also used for this purpose.
Scaling of the teeth leaves small rough surface on the tooth, which may cause further rapid deposition of the plaque and stains on the surface. Polishing will smoothen the tooth surface to make it less vulnerable for further deposition. For polishing, your doctor will use a rotating brush or rubber polisher with different types of commercially available polishing pastes.
Scaling cleans above and below the gums. If you have gum disease, scaling needs to be deeper, around the roots of the teeth. This is called 'root planing'. Your doctor may give you a local anaesthetic to make it more comfortable.
Scaling is done because of improper brushing technique, which causes deposition. After that, it is your responsibility to keep it clean. Your doctor will tell you about the best way to clean your teeth and gums thoroughly at home. You are expected to follow the technique and see your doctor next as recommended by your doctor.