DEEP CLEANING

What causes this?

Plaque is always forming on your teeth, but if they aren’t cleaned well, the bacteria in plaque can cause your gums to become inflamed. When this happens, your gums will pull away from your teeth and form spaces called pockets. These pockets can now harbor more plaque and tartar.

Process

Deep cleaning is called in dental terms: Scaling and Root Planning, and that just means to clean under your gumline/pockets. Scaling removes tartar from the surface of your teeth that you see when you smile. Root planning removes tartar from the roots of your teeth below your gum line. This deep dental cleaning goes below your gum line to completely remove tartar from each of your teeth, including their roots. To minimize any discomfort or pain, our providers numb your mouth with a local anesthetic.

We also recommend during the deep cleaning procedure, the addition of a Local Desiccant Antimicrobial Agent per tooth which reduces bleeding, patient pain, and infections allowing your body to use its own defenses to promote natural healing. This agent can aid in the removal of stubborn calculus and staining by dehydrating and hardens the plaque, making it easier to remove with instrumentation while simultaneously killing the bacteria on contact, ensuring a hygienic environment for your gums. This addition to your scaling and root planning, while optional, would promote a speedy recovery.

What happens after scaling and root planning?

Since the bacteria is cleared along with the plaque and tartar, your gums can now heal and inflammation decreases. Your healthy gums can reattach more firmly to the smoothed tooth roots. During follow-up appointments, your provider will measure the pockets surrounding your gum tissue. If the pockets haven’t decreased, you may need other treatment such as periodontal surgery.