What is gum disease?
The American Academy of Periodontology describes gingivitis as the mildest form of periodontal disease. The most common signs of gingivitis are redness, swelling and bleeding of your gums. Gingivitis can be treated with professional cleaning and good at-home oral care.
If gingivitis is left untreated it can advance to periodontitis, a condition where bacteria, tartar and plaque travel under your gums creating a pocket, which can result in gum and bone loss. Eventually, teeth can become loose and may fall off or need to be extracted.
If periodontitis is detected, we typically recommend more frequent cleanings and, in some cases, a deep cleaning procedure called scaling and root planning.
Scaling and root planning, also known as deep cleaning, is usually done in two visits. In this procedure, tartar, plaque and bacteria are removed from above and below the gum line to help the gum tissue heal and stop the progression of the periodontal disease.
Main objectives of scaling and root planning
This procedure is aimed for patients with bone loss around their teeth, subgingival calculus and periodontal pockets of 5 mm or bigger.
Scaling and root planning typically takes two visits. Usually, you’ll find that half of your mouth is treated at each visit, so that your dentist can thoroughly and effectively remove plaque and tartar deposits beneath the gumline and clean out the periodontal pockets. Every treatment protocol for scaling and root planning depends on the patient.
After your full mouth has been treated through scaling and root planning, your dentist will schedule a visit to follow up and view the results. Continued periodic periodontal visits may be recommended as routine maintenance, to help prevent any future flare-ups and keep gum disease from any further progression.
After scaling and root plaining you should get periodontal maintenance every 3 to 4 months.