How Periodontal Scaling and Root Planing Can Help Save Your Teeth

Periodontal scaling and root planing are restorative dental procedures to remove plaque and tartar from above and below the gum line of your teeth. Scaling and root planing are essential if your gums, bones, and surrounding tissues or damaged because of periodontal disease.

Periodontal disease, also known as periodontitis, is a severe inflammatory disease affecting your gums, bones, and surrounding tissues in your mouth. You develop periodontal disease because you don’t brush your teeth twice a day, floss, or visit your dentist for routine dental cleanings. As the plaque continues to remain on your teeth without removal, it hardens into tartar within 48 hours. Tartar contains bacteria that spreads to the gums to cause the condition of gingivitis or early periodontal disease. You are recommended periodontal scaling and root planing in Plano as part of a deep cleaning procedure to treat chronic periodontal disease.

Scaling and root planing often require more than one visit to the dentist 75093 and may require local anesthesia depending on the severity of your condition, especially if you have receding gums. Recovering from periodontal scaling and root planing requires a few days but may take longer.

When Does Scaling Become Essential?

The dental clinic in Plano recommends periodontal scaling and root planing if your mouth has indications of chronic periodontal disease. The deep cleaning procedures can help inhibit the harmful effects of this disease to keep your mouth healthy.

You develop the chronic periodontal disease when bacteria present in the plaque cause your gums to pull away from your teeth. The pulling out of the gums causes large pockets to form between your teeth and gums, where more bacteria accumulate and are challenging to reach when brushing. It is why dentists recommend flossing regularly to get to areas where your toothbrush can’t reach.

Chronic periodontal disease, if left untreated, causes bone and tissue loss, tooth loss, moving teeth, and loose teeth. This condition affects nearly 50 percent of adult Americans over the age of 30. The prime reasons for developing chronic disease are improper dental hygiene, changes in hormones, medical conditions, genetic causes, aging, and smoking.

Besides experiencing deep pockets between your teeth and gums from periodontal disease, other symptoms that may affect you include:

• Bleeding gums, bad breath, inflamed, red, or tender gums
• Shifting of permanent teeth
• Changes in your bite

What Happens During Periodontal Scaling and Root Planing

Scaling and root planing are performed at your dentist’s office as an outpatient procedure. You must schedule one or two appointments with the dentist in Plano, depending on the severity of your condition.

The dentist uses local anesthesia to ease the discomfort you experience from the procedure. If you are anxious about the pain, you can discuss it with your dentist.

Periodontal scaling is initially performed by the dentist, scraping away plaque from your teeth and in any large pockets that may have developed between your teeth and gums. After periodontal scaling, the dentist performs root planing to smooth the tooth roots using a scaling instrument. Root planing helps your gums to reattach to your teeth.

Additional treatments are recommended by the dentist depending on the health of your teeth and gums. Antimicrobial agents are also used by your dentist in your mouth, or they may prescribe oral antibiotics for several days to help you heal faster.

A procedure called host modulation is also performed by dentists where additional medication is administered directly into your gums, helping them to correct the adverse effects of long-term periodontal disease and reduce the chances of reinfection after the treatment.

The Benefits of Periodontal Scaling and Root Planing

If you are affected by chronic periodontal disease, root planing, and periodontal scaling are the gold standard treatment for this condition. Reviews published in 2015 revealed this procedure successfully improved the pocket between the teeth and gums by .5 mm on average.

When dentists perform periodontal scaling and root planing, they reduce pockets between your teeth and gums, which in turn benefits you by lowering your risk of experiencing tooth, bone, and tissue loss associated with chronic periodontal disease.

Periodontal scaling and root planing are standard procedures for treating chronic periodontal disease. Dentists perform this procedure in an outpatient setting at the dentist’s office with or without local anesthesia. However, you require more than one appointment with the dentist to complete the procedure and may experience mild side effects for a few days or a week. However, the deep cleaning procedure helps save your teeth, preventing the need to look for replacements.