There are many who are unaware of what scaling and planing entails and what it means for their mouth. Well today, we are going to give you all the information you need to know about scaling and planing.
This treatment is typically recommended by your dentist after diagnosing periodontal (gum) disease. Your dentist will diagnose gum disease if they notice the pockets between your gums and teeth are infected by plaque. The treatment itself involves a deep cleaning below the gum line near the roots of your teeth. It can be an effective, non-surgical treatment option to treat and remove plaque, food and acids before becoming too severe.
During a scaling and planing appointment, your dentist will first apply a local anesthetic to your mouth to numb the area surrounding each tooth, including your roots and gums. The scaling procedure involves scaling (scraping) your teeth by using an ultrasonic scaling device to eliminate plaque bacteria with sonic vibrations. This device will remove tartar, plaque and biofilm from the surface of the tooth.
Root planing involves a more detailed scaling of the root surface, which resides underneath the gumline, to reduce inflammation of the gum tissue. Your dentist will scale the root surface to smooth out any affected areas to eliminate plaque and biofilm development.
If you have any questions about scaling and planing, please give our office a call today at [phone]!
