For many reasons, sometimes people aren’t able to maintain their recommended frequency
of dental checkups.
Oftentimes, when extended time has gone in between cleanings, a more advanced cleaning
may be recommended by your doctor.
Harmful bacteria and hard tartar deposits called calculus build up on your teeth above
and below the gumline, releasing toxins that cause gum disease, also known as periodontitis.
Unfortunately, this buildup occurs in areas that can’t be taken care of by brushing,
flossing, or even a regular dental cleaning.
Over time, if periodontitis progresses, it can lead to increased inflammation, bleeding,
receding gums, and ultimately receding bone tissue.
Your doctor can recommend a procedure called scaling and root planing, to remove these
deposits from your teeth.
Scaling and root planing is a specialized procedure that removes excessive calculus
and the bacterial deposits beneath the gumline, and is usually performed with a hand scaler,
and an ultrasonic cleaner, which uses high-frequency vibrations to separate the calculus from the
tooth.
This procedure is for advanced periodontitis cases, and in many cases is so extensive that
it must be done in stages.
It may require multiple appointments to complete in order to ensure you are as comfortable
as possible during the procedure.
By removing the deposits and bacteria, this procedure is in many cases able to hold the
spread of periodontitis.
Your doctor will determine the next steps for continued rehabilitation of your gum tissue.
However, if these symptoms are not treated appropriately, the progression can advance
to a point of tooth and bone loss, requiring costly and painful reconstructive dentistry
to treat.