Deep Cleanings are Important

Almost everyone places considerable emphasis onto keeping up with their dental hygiene, but many of our patients in the Beachwood, OH area are generally not knowledgeable about just what is found below the gumline. Although teeth look little, they are really considerably bigger than many people realize. After gum disease starts, standard cleanings are no longer enough to fully recover your teeth and gums back to a healthy condition. Once your gum tissues develop inflammation due to gum disease, deep cleanings become essential.

We are commonly asked, “What does a Deep Cleaning entail?”

Deep teeth cleaning is additionally known as scaling and root planing. Scaling removes tartar and bacterial buildup that may be adhered beneath the gum line on the roots and within the pockets of gum tissue surrounding the roots of your teeth. Root planing smoothes the roots of rough spots where germs and bacteria can thrive. This technique helps your gums to improve and also permits shrinking of periodontal pockets. Antimicrobial medicines can also placed below the gum line in order to assist the restorative process. The deep cleaning process normally requires two to four appointments, and also requires a local anesthetic (“numbing”) for treatment.

The Truth About Gum Disease

Periodontal disease is not curable and is, in reality, a systemic disease, similar to high blood pressure or diabetes. This makes deep cleanings vital if you wish to maintain proper oral health. Gum disease is usually a “silent disease,” due to the fact that a large number of people do not have any significant discomfort or warning signs. Gum disease attacks the whole structure of your teeth and deteriorates the bone, roots and periodontal tissue. In the event that the tartar and microbes are permitted to amass below the gum line, it will cause tooth mobility and loss. If not properly handled, oral bacteria will affect your whole body, not merely the gum tissues and teeth. Once the initial disease process is handled with the deep cleanings, it is required to get periodic upkeep cleanings to prevent additional irritation and loss of bone around the teeth. The end goal of deep cleanings is to arrest the active disease process, maintain oral health, and improve your overall health.

For more information on scaling and planing, check out Oral-B’s website. To find out more on the best ways to prevent periodontal disease, call our practice or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.