Deep Dental Cleaning

How Is a Deep Dental Cleaning Different from a Regular Hygiene Appointment?

A regular hygiene appointment focuses on removing plaque and tartar buildup from your teeth, including right down to the gum line and slightly below your gums. Most people need a regular hygiene appointment every six months to eliminate tartar buildup and maintain good gum health. A regular hygiene appointment can also treat the very early signs of gum problems, where gums are mildly infected—a condition called gingivitis. The hygiene appointment, combined with improved oral care at home, might be all that is necessary to restore and maintain healthy, strong gums.

Deep dental cleaning is also called scaling and root planing and still removes plaque and tartar buildup from your teeth and deeper below the gum line. This is because the infection and inflammation caused by bacteria result in a condition called periodontal disease or gum disease. This, in turn, can result in gums receding, exposing the tooth roots.

How Does Periodontal Disease Affect Gum Health?

The infection caused by periodontal disease results in inflammation, created as the body’s immune system tries to fight the infection. The inflammation gradually destroys the gums, so they start to recede. As the gums recede, they pull away from the teeth creating gaps or pockets called periodontal pockets.

These pockets are tricky to keep clean as an ordinary toothbrush might not be able to reach right down into them. Additionally, the gums might have begun to feel sore and to bleed frequently, making patients less willing to brush their teeth as thoroughly as needed. The conditions inside these periodontal pockets are perfect for harmful bacteria to thrive, exacerbating the problem.

How Can I Tell If I Need a Deep Dental Cleaning?

Periodontal disease is often called a silent disease because it causes few, if any, symptoms. Those symptoms that are present are easy to ignore. However, some signs can indicate you have periodontal disease and include:

• Gums that bleed easily, especially during brushing and flossing
• Gums that appear swollen, red, or feel tender to touch
• A persistently nasty taste or bad breath
• Changes to the way your teeth bite together as teeth start to move
• Noticing your teeth look longer than before due to gum recession

Who to See for Treatment?

Your dentist can easily diagnose signs of periodontal disease during a regular dental checkup. Your gum health is assessed using a periodontal probe. This small instrument is inserted into the gap between your teeth and gums, measuring the depth and size of your periodontal pockets. If you have regular hygiene appointments, you might have noticed the hygienist uses this tool and makes a note of the size of your periodontal pockets at each appointment, closely monitoring your gum health.

If your dentist discovers you have signs of periodontal disease, you may require digital dental x-rays. These x-rays show the condition of your jawbone and are used to assess any bone loss.

Jawbone loss can occur if you have advanced periodontal disease. Your dentist can discuss suitable treatment based on the information provided by these tests. They may have the facilities to treat you in their dental office or might refer you to a periodontist, a specialist in treating conditions affecting your gums, with a potential need for minor dental surgery. Alternatively, if you are concerned about your gum health, you can always schedule an appointment to see a periodontist directly. They can complete a full periodontal evaluation to assess your gum health thoroughly.

Why Is It Advantageous to See a Periodontist?

General dentists are excellent for helping you maintain good dental health, but dental specialists like periodontists have completed several years of additional training. When you see a periodontist, you are assured of receiving the most up-to-date treatment using the best and latest technologies, including advanced procedures like bone graft, gum graft, and pinhole surgery.

What to Expect During a Deep Dental Cleaning?

In some ways, a deep dental cleaning is similar to a standard scale and polish. The tartar or calculus buildup on your teeth is loosened using special ultrasonic hand tools before it is scaled or scraped away gently. However, the tooth roots exposed by gum recession are also cleaned carefully. Unlike your teeth, tooth roots are covered in cementum, a softer substance that is more easily eroded so that these roots can become roughened.

After the tooth roots are cleaned, they are planed or smoothed. Smoothing these tooth roots makes it harder for bacteria to adhere and easier for the gum tissue to reattach to your teeth roots. The gum or periodontal pockets are also cleaned out thoroughly, removing bacterial buildup so your body can heal and fight infection more easily. Sometimes topical antibiotics are placed inside particularly deep periodontal pockets to help eliminate bacteria more effectively.

Is a Deep Dental Cleaning Uncomfortable?

There may be some minor discomfort with a deep dental cleaning, so your periodontist may provide a local anesthetic to help numb your gums. When an infection is particularly severe, you may need several visits to treat your entire mouth to minimize discomfort.

Often, scaling and root planing is carried out in conjunction with laser therapy, a treatment that helps increase the efficacy of deep dental cleanings.

What Is Laser Therapy?

Dental offices, especially periodontal offices, will often use laser therapy when treating gum conditions. Laser therapy can be especially useful in treating deep periodontal pockets that are tricky to clean. The energy produced by a dental laser helps to sterilize deep periodontal pockets, eliminating bacteria more effectively than manual treatment.

What Are the Advantages of Having Laser Therapy?

The laser can also remove any gum tissue too badly infected to heal, leaving behind healthy gum tissue that can heal more quickly. As the laser removes the gum tissue, it seals any blood vessels that may be cut, cauterizing them so that any bleeding is greatly minimized. Laser dentistry is a very gentle treatment, so healing afterward is faster with fewer side effects like swelling and discomfort.

What to Expect after a Deep Dental Cleaning?

After deep cleaning your teeth and gums, your periodontist or hygienist will give you precise instructions on after-care. It is essential to follow their instructions closely and to clean your teeth and gums as instructed. If necessary, your periodontist may prescribe an antimicrobial mouth rinse or suggest other dental products. Your teeth and gums may feel slightly more sensitive for a few days afterward, but this sensitivity should gradually fade. As your gums get healthier and stronger, they should start to fit more snugly around your teeth, and problems such as bleeding or gums that feel tender or look red and swollen should gradually disappear.

You will almost certainly need a follow-up appointment to assess the outcome of your treatment and will most likely be given a schedule of professional dental cleanings to follow. Sticking to this schedule closely is important as advanced periodontal disease can be chronic. You will almost certainly need regular dental cleanings to help control it, as it cannot be completely eradicated.

If you think you might need a deep dental cleaning or have concerns about your gum health, the team at Atlas Park Dental is here to help. We also offer a wide range of other services, including Wisdom teeth Extraction, to ensure your complete oral health, and you can find us conveniently located at: 80-28 Cooper Ave, Suite 207, Glendale, NY 11385. Give us a call or book an appointment online, and we’ll take great care of you.