Regular brushing and flossing—along with biannual dentist visits for routine cleanings—all play a crucial role in maintaining dental health. However, dentists sometimes advise a more intensive treatment called dental deep cleaning (also known as periodontal scaling or root planing). This procedure may be recommended for patients with bleeding gums, receding gums, and loose teeth.
What is dental deep cleaning?
Deep teeth cleaning removes plaque and tartar buildup to reduce gum inflammation and improve overall gum health. Plaque, a sticky film teeming with bacteria, forms on the teeth when food particles mix with saliva. Daily brushing helps remove plaque, but it can't reach every nook, so some plaque calcifies into tartar.
This buildup can lead to gum disease—starting with gingivitis (an inflammation of the gums) and potentially progressing to periodontitis (a severe infection that damages the bones supporting teeth).
What are the benefits of dental deep cleaning?
Deep cleaning becomes necessary when gum disease causes the gums to recede, creating spaces deeper than 5 millimeters (mm). Without intervention, these spaces can widen, destabilizing the bones that anchor your teeth and possibly leading to tooth loss.
Deep cleaning offers several benefits. It can stop the progression of gum disease, treat infections to promote healing, clean above and below the gum line, eliminate bad breath associated with gum disease, and protect the roots of your teeth.
Although teeth scaling and root planing can be uncomfortable, dentists typically apply a topical or local anesthetic to numb the gums, minimizing pain during the procedure. Post-treatment sensitivity is common, along with potential swelling and minor bleeding.
By addressing plaque and tartar accumulation, deep teeth can prevent gum disease from worsening. It's a preventive measure that can save teeth from the effects of advanced gum disease.
If you think you may need dental deep cleaning, schedule a visit to Lynnwood Dental Studio.