A good oral care routine includes regular hygiene visits to West Bowmanville Family Dental. Most people find that when combined with good oral care at home, this is enough to prevent the need for further treatments. However, an ordinary hygiene appointment is sometimes not enough, and your dentist might suggest a deep dental cleaning.
When is it Necessary?
During an ordinary hygiene appointment, your teeth are cleaned professionally to remove all plaque and tartar buildup before it can affect oral health. It is a great preventive dental care treatment in Clarington. However, a deep dental cleaning might be required if you have developed some dental problems such as inflamed gums that bleed easily or have begun to recede. This treatment is also sometimes called a deep teeth cleaning or scaling and root planing and may be required if you have a more significant buildup of tartar or calculus around your teeth, affecting dental health.
The bacteria in plaque and tartar produce toxins that inflame and infect your gums, resulting in them starting to pull away from teeth. As the gums pull away from teeth, they create gaps between your teeth and gums, and these gaps are ideal for trapping more harmful bacteria, creating an environment where they can thrive.
Getting rid of plaque and tartar helps reduce inflammation and infection in your gums so your body can fight the infection more easily. Treatment also helps to reduce the size of these gaps between your teeth and gums, called periodontal pockets, enabling the gums to reattach to teeth more easily as they become stronger and healthier after treatment.
What Will Happen During a Scaling and Root Planing Procedure?
Scaling and root planing treatment in Newcastle is a little similar to an ordinary hygiene appointment. However, instead of just cleaning your teeth, exposed tooth roots where inflamed gums have receded or begun to pull away from the teeth are also cleaned thoroughly. If your gums are significantly inflamed, topical or local anesthetic might be required to ensure the process is comfortable. Sometimes, when there is a severe infection, cleaning teeth in several sections over separate appointments might be necessary.
During treatment, all tartar or calculus is removed from teeth using ultrasonic instruments and hand tools to scrape away the debris. The exposed tooth roots are also cleaned, removing plaque and tartar. Cleaning these tooth root surfaces can leave them feeling slightly rougher, and this is where the second part of treatment comes in, as these surfaces are planed or smoothed. Smoothing these surfaces makes it harder for more plaque to adhere and easier for the gums to reattach.
What To Expect Afterwards?
After deep cleaning your teeth, you might find they feel slightly more sensitive afterwards until they settle down. It’s important to follow a good oral care routine, and our friendly dental team can discuss how to brush and floss teeth thoroughly using the appropriate tools. When you clean your teeth, your gums may bleed slightly, but it’s important to persevere. As your gums become stronger, healthier, and less fragile, bleeding will cease.
How Often Is a Scaling and Root Planing Needed?
Everyone has unique oral health needs, so if you require this treatment, we can discuss how often it is necessary and explain why. Some people may need to have their teeth cleaned professionally every three months to help control a severe gum infection, especially if they have chronic gum disease or periodontitis in Courtice. Regular scaling and root planing treatments can help control the condition and prevent it from progressing.
If you have noticed your gums bleed when you brush and floss, please come and see us as soon as possible. The sooner we can treat gum infections, the more likely we can reverse the condition entirely and prevent it from becoming chronic.