What is a Dental Deep Cleaning?

Scheduling biannual dental cleanings is a good way to keep your smile looking its best and also helps to maintain a healthy mouth. While this level of cleaning may be all you need, that can change at some point in your life, especially if you start to experience gum disease. In such instances, many patients will benefit from something more, including a dental deep cleaning.

Your preventive care cleaning is more about maintenance, removing built-up tartar and plaque, and giving your teeth a polish. A dental deep cleaning goes beyond the surface of the teeth. This type of cleaning, also referred to as scaling and planing, centers on the portions of teeth that sit near and beyond the gum line.

Dental deep cleaning is a special, non-invasive technique used to remove bacteria, plaque, and tartar. It can halt the progression of gum disease and prevent tooth loss in patients as well.

Who Will Benefit from a Dental Deep Cleaning?

Dental deep cleaning is not meant for everyone. Patients diagnosed with gum disease, either the initial, milder stage of gingivitis or a more advanced stage of periodontitis, will benefit the most from a deep cleaning procedure.

While it may or may not be obvious that you have gum disease, you can often tell if you experience bad breath, loose teeth, or bleeding, swelling, or tenderness in the gums. A visual clue that you may have gum disease is when you see your gums pulling away from your teeth, exposing more of the tooth in the process.

A patient experiencing gum disease will also have pockets developing between teeth and gums. These pockets, or gaps, can expose more of the tooth root. Your dentist will measure these gaps to determine how advanced your gum disease is currently. After a dental deep cleaning, these gaps will again be measured. You should see a reduction in the gap between your teeth and gums as a result.

What Happens During a Dental Deep Cleaning Procedure?

The dental deep cleaning procedure may be used in one or two affected areas of your mouth or an entire section, such as half of your upper teeth region. Each patient is unique, and your treatment can differ based on how prevalent the gum disease has become.

While you may feel some discomfort, your dentist will give you a local anesthetic to create some numbness. Only one-half of your mouth will be numbed during a visit, so you will most likely need to return for a second appointment to care for the opposite side.

The cleaning involves two methods – scaling and planing.

Scaling

With the aid of a handheld dental device, your dentist will gently scrape the teeth to remove plaque and tartar near the gumline. This method includes both above and below where your teeth join with the gums.

For harder to reach areas, your dentist may use an ultrasonic tool with a vibrating tip. The vibration helps to dislodge any plaque and tartar that may be hiding there. A water spray may also be used to help wash the tartar away.

The scaling procedure can take anywhere between one and four hours, depending on the severity of the infection of the gums.

Planing

To smooth out any rough areas on the roots of teeth, your dentist will use a rubbing motion. This smoothing-out method will make it more difficult for plaque, tartar, or bacteria to stick to these areas going forward.

Your dentist may also apply an antibiotic gel during the deep cleaning to get to the harder to reach germs that linger or might prescribe an antibiotic mouth rinse.

For a few days after the procedure, you’ll need to be careful brushing as your gums will feel tender and may bleed. You will also want to avoid hot or cold beverages for a few days. Tooth sensitivity can remain for 1-2 weeks, which is entirely normal, but if you become concerned, contact your dentist right away.

Follow all the directions provided by your dentist and return at the recommended time so your dentist can check how your mouth is healing. During this follow-up appointment, your dentist will once again measure the pockets, or gaps, between teeth and gums to see if a reduction is occurring.

Contact Park Street Dental to Find out More about Dental Deep Cleaning and Gum Disease

When it comes to efficiently caring for your teeth and gums, knowing how a dental deep cleaning can help is beneficial. Whether you want to learn more about gum disease or believe you are already experiencing it, the compassionate team here at Park Street Dental can help. We will evaluate your oral health and, if needed, make personalized recommendations for cleanings or other beneficial treatments. Call our dental office today to schedule a consultation.