Deep Cleaning

The progression of gum disease begins when plaque is left on your teeth and around your gum line. Overtime, this plaque mixes with your saliva and creates calculus. Calculus contains bacteria that attaches to your teeth and root surfaces and releases toxins that cause inflammation, infection, and irritation of your gums. When this occurs, you officially have gum disease. If left untreated, gum disease can lead to jaw bone loss, teeth movement, and possibly even tooth loss.Luckily, you can treat your gum disease with a deep cleaning. Deep cleanings are the only nonsurgical gum disease treatment that mechanically removes all calculus and bacteria from your teeth and root surfaces. However, before you can use the power of a deep cleaning to treat your gum disease, you must first be properly diagnosed. In order to properly diagnose gum disease, your dentist will take x-rays and detailed measurements of the pockets between your gum tissue and root surfaces. If you have pockets that are deeper than 3mm, you probably have gum disease and will need to undergo a deep cleaning.

 

Deep cleanings typically are completed in one or two visits to our dental office. During these cleanings, your dentist or dental hygienist will utilize an ultrasonic scaler and/or hand instruments to complete the scaling and root planing treatments. Typically, you may also receive a local anesthetic during your cleaning in order to ensure optimal comfort both during and after the procedure. To further reduce the amount of bacteria in your mouth, antibacterial agents or Chlorhexidine rinses can also be used.

 

Following your deep cleaning, it’s standard to stay on 3 or 4-month recall intervals as part of a maintenance program. This means more frequent dental cleanings and possibly more scaling or root planing depending on your specific needs. However, no matter what, it’s essential that you practice a proper at home daily dental routine in order to help maintain the health of your teeth and their surrounding structures.