Home-based brushing and flossing help remove plaque, but only a professional cleaning can remove buildup and give your teeth the deep clean they need. Though perfect dental health doesn’t happen instantly, here’s what happens after a single cleaning:

• 35% more stains removed

Like your caffeine tolerance after a 60-hour workweek, stains build up. The staining is typically most intense in those areas that are hardest to keep clean, such as near the gum line. Hygienists use professional grade toothpastes with a soft cup brush.

• Bad breath treatment

When you brush your teeth and tongue, odor-causing bacteria drops from 75% to 25%. But if your breath is consistently bad, your dentist can help identify the underlying condition.

• Calculus deposits removed

Those in a dental visit drought may have spots with hardened plaque—also known as calculus. Adults who saw the dentist in the last year had less calculus than those who hadn’t visited within 12 months, according to one study. Hygienists use hand tools to scrape off calculus. Professional tooth scaling reduces inflammation-causing bacterial growth that can lead to heart disease or stroke.

Though a single dental cleaning isn’t an instant fix, one appointment can make a big impact.