Scaling and Root Planing
Scaling and Root Planing is a special type of treatment that goes deeper below the gumline to remove contaminated debris and bacteria, most often performed on patients with active periodontitis.
This seems to be a procedure that causes so much confusion for patients in trying to understand the difference between a professional cleaning and Scaling and Root Planing, and the reasons for this procedure.
Scaling and Root Planing is done to remove soft sticky plaque and hard crusty calculus that is loaded with bacteria, around and
below the gumline on root surfaces. A professional polishing or prophy removes only the soft sticky plaque and hard crusty calculus that is
above the gumline on the crown of the tooth. It is a method of treating gum disease when pockets formed around the teeth have a measurement of greater than 3mm and there is evidence of bleeding and tissue attachment loss.
Scaling is a procedure that meticulously removes contaminated bio-film, plaque, calculus, micro-organisms, and toxins from around the gumline down to the bottom of each periodontal pocket in order to obtain a healing response.
Root planing involves smoothing the root surfaces of your teeth with thin instruments so gum tissue can more firmly reattach to roots that are clean and smooth to prevent tooth loss and sensitivity problems. This procedure makes it more difficult for plaque, calculus, and bacteria to accumulate along these root surfaces.
Because this procedure goes deeper than a regular cleaning, your mouth may be numbed. The cleaning may take one to six visits to complete. Depending on the extent of the disease, you may need one or more quadrants of the mouth to be treated with scaling and root planing.
How you care for your teeth and gums at home after treatment is
critical to reduce the risk of recurring periodontal disease.
Call us today at 503-654-8283 to schedule your next appointment with Mike Regan, DMD