Dental Deep Cleaning from A Periodontist
Regular oral cleanings are an essential part of maintaining proper oral hygiene but are you aware that there are different levels of cleaning? Sometimes, just a routine cleaning by a dentist isn’t enough. If bacteria go below your gum line, you’ll need dental cleaning to restore the health of your gums.
The Need for Dental Deep Cleaning
Deep cleaning is usually done to treat periodontal disease. When you go for dental hygiene and periodontics in Ancaster, ON, your periodontist uses a probe to check if there are pockets around your teeth during a routine dental appointment. Pockets are depths of the gap between your teeth and gums.
Generally, a healthy pocket shouldn’t be more than three millimeters deep. However, if the pocket’s depth is above five millimeters, the dentist recommends root planing and scaling.
Your dentist does scaling to get rid of plaque and tartar from your teeth surfaces and gum pockets, and they also do root planning to remove tartar from tooth roots and smooths out the rough surfaces of a root where bacteria is gathered. The process takes between one to two hours using ultrasonic devices or manual tools.
How Dental Deep Cleaning Different from a Regular Cleaning
Routine dental cleanings usually focus on teeth and above your gum line. The dentist recommends these non-invasive cleanings for most patients twice a year and plays a vital role in maintaining proper oral health.
Dental deep cleaning involves special techniques to remove tartar, plaque, and bacteria below the gum line down to your tooth roots. This helps prevent gum disease from growing ad causing tooth loss. So, the aim of regular dental cleaning is preventative maintenance, and the objective of deep dental cleaning is to help stop the progression of gum disease.
How Do I Know I Need Deep Dental Cleaning?
Not everyone is a candidate for deep cleaning. However, if you have gingivitis or a more severe case of gum disease, you may require deep cleaning to prevent tooth loss and stop further damage.
Gum disease doesn’t show visible symptoms or cause pain, so it might be challenging to know when one needs a deep cleaning. However, examples of warning signs to look out for include:
- Having bad breath and tasting consistently
- Loose or separating permanent teeth
- Having gums that are red, swollen, and tender
- Gums that bleed easily
- Gums that have pulled away from the teeth
Your dentist in Ancaster, ON, might also diagnose your problem during regular check-ups by using a probe to measure any pockets that might have formed in the gums. They might also take X-rays to check for bone loss.
If your pockets are deeper than what can be treated with regular cleaning, you’ll need a deep cleaning to remove the infection and promote healing. In addition, you might need scaling and root planning in a few spots, or your problem might be widespread.
What Does Deep Cleaning Entail?
During scaling, your periodontist uses a hand-held dental scaler to scrape the plaque from the teeth above and below your gum line. They may use an ultrasonic tool with a vibrating metal tip and water spray to wash tartar away.
Root planning involves more of a rubbing motion. It is used to smooth rough spots on the roots of the teeth to harden them for bacteria to stick to them. Sometimes, an antibiotic gel is applied to your teeth during the cleaning to kill hard-to-reach germs. Occasionally your dentist might prescribe special antibiotic mouth rinse and oral antibiotics. Unlike regular dental cleanings, deep cleaning requires two appointments which allow us to treat half of the mouth at every visit.
What Happens After the Procedure?
After a deep cleaning, your periodontist will give you home care instructions based on your situation. An appointment is likely scheduled 4-6 weeks later to ensure you’re healing well.
Your periodontist may also suggest more frequent regular cleanings for a defined period. This helps prevent new infections and promotes healing. You’ll continue having the pocketing measured to ensure your gums improve. With good aftercare, you’ll see a rapid improvement in the condition of their gums. Over time, the pockets will shrink, and your gum will be restored.
Dental deep cleaning is a straightforward procedure that brings fast relief and prevents your natural teeth from falling out. Call our office at Golf Links Dental if you have tender gums or suffering from any other dental issue.