Downtown Dental Excellence offers Deep Teeth Cleaning in Cleveland, TX

In addition to at-home care, it is important to have your teeth cleaned professionally by a dentist regularly. If you do so, you’ll likely only need a general cleaning and checkup. If you go too long between appointments or if you aren’t taking proper care of your oral health, though, you may find that a deep teeth cleaning (or scaling and root planing) is necessary. It’s important to understand what a deep teeth cleaning/scaling and root planing is and why people need them to avoid having to get a deep teeth cleaning/scaling and root planing in the future.

Choose Downtown Dental Excellence for your Deep Teeth Cleaning needs today. 

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What is a Teeth Cleaning?

During regularly scheduled visits to your dentist, you will undergo a cleaning and a checkup. During the checkup, you dentist will check your teeth, gums, cheeks, tongue and jawbone for any disease, damage, decay or any other oral health concerns. This will involve a visual inspection, as well as x-rays. After the checkup, your dentist will discuss any oral health issues that they have uncovered—including periodontal disease.

Your dentist will also perform a routine cleaning, which involves removing plaque, tartar and debris from the teeth above the gum line. This is generally a simple and painless procedure. Dentists will also often polish the teeth once the teeth are clean.

What is a Deep Teeth Cleaning?

A deep teeth cleaning, also called scaling and root planing, involves a deeper cleaning of the teeth that just the crowns. With a deep teeth cleaning/scaling and root planing, a dentist needs to go below the gum line to remove bacteria and debris.

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Why Would I need a Deep Cleaning?

A deep teeth cleaning/scaling and root planing is necessary in order to remove tartar, plaque and debris that is causing periodontal (gum) disease. Gum disease can start with inflammation, bleeding and discoloration of the gums, and can quickly worsen. If the disease is not treated, the patient may end up with irreparable tooth decay, or they may even lose their teeth entirely.

Gum disease can also be to blame for bad breath. Once the bacteria is removed, a patient may notice that their breath smells much better.

Moving beyond oral health, gum disease can actually affect other areas of the body. The bacteria from an infection can actually spread through the body via the bloodstream, increasing risks of respiratory and heart disease.

Because of this, it is important to have gum disease treated as soon as possible.

What is Scaling and Root Planing?

Deep teeth cleaning, or scaling and root planing, is a procedure in which the dentist will go under the gums of a patient to remove plaque, tartar and debris. This allows the gums to heal, reverses gum disease and ensures that teeth do not continue to decay due to periodontal disease.

To check for gum disease, a dentist will first check under the gums with a special tool. This probing helps to determine if the patient is suffering from periodontal disease. If the probing goes to depths of 5mm or more, your dentist will likely recommend a deep teeth cleaning. If the disease is bad enough, a dentist may use a local anesthetic to help with the pain. During the scaling process, a dentist will remove the plaque and tartar that is attached to the surface of the tooth. This includes below the gum line, along the root. In order to do this, a dentist will use an ultrasonic scaling tool. This tool may also deliver an antimicrobial agent to reduce bacteria.

Root planing involves smoothing the root of the tooth, and removing surface dentin and cementum. This is often embedded with tartar, toxins and even  microorganisms. Antibiotics are sometimes used after the scaling and root planing process to help with healing, and to control infection.

When Should I see a Dentist about Scaling and Root Planing?

It is important to see a dentist as soon as possible when you suspect that you may have gum disease. Some signs to look for include:

  • Inflamed Gums
  • Bleeding Gums
  • Bad Breath
  • Swollen Gums
  • Tender Gums
  • Discoloration of Gums

Keep in mind that the longer you allow gum disease to develop, the more damage it can cause. If gum disease isn’t treated, it can lead to tooth decay and tooth loss. Gum disease should be taken seriously—as should any suggestions from your dentist to undergo a scaling and root planing procedure.

It is also extremely important to see a dentist regularly for cleanings and checkups. Your regular visit to the dentist should be at least twice a year. This will help you to avoid a deep teeth cleaning/scaling and root planing.

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Healing and Aftercare

Once the procedure is complete, it’s important to continue to take good care of your teeth and gums. Just because you underwent deep teeth cleaning/scaling and root planing, doesn’t mean that gum disease won’t return in the future!

Make sure to brush, floss and wash your mouth out at least twice a day. If you have any questions about how to do so, speak with your dentist.

Setting and Appointment

If you notice that your gums are bleeding, discolored, tender or are in pain, make sure to set an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible. If you catch gum disease early enough, the deep teeth cleaning should be a simple and easy process.

Call your dentist’s office to set an appointment between regular visits so that they can check your teeth and gums for disease and decay. Remember—the longer you wait, the worse the disease may get. Avoid a deep teeth cleaning by going regularly to the dentist.

Costs Involved

As with any procedure, the costs for a deep teeth cleaning/scaling and root planing will go beyond the costs of a general cleaning and checkup. In order to get a better idea of the cost of the procedure, you’ll want to speak with your dentist or your dentist’s office. You’ll also want to check with your insurance company to see how much of the deep teeth cleaning/scaling and root planing procedure is covered.

Keep in mind that—no matter what the costs—the procedure needs to be completed. If you avoid deep teeth cleaning/scaling and root planing, you leave yourself at risk for tooth decay and loss. Paying to have your teeth and gums repaired after the gum disease has led to these issues will be even more costly than the original procedure.