Those who suffer from gum disease or periodontitis badly need deep dental cleaning to reverse the effects of oral disease. Periodontitis is a gum inflammation that leads to the deterioration of the supporting tissues of the teeth. When a patient does not do something to halt its progress, his teeth and gum health are both compromised. He needs to undergo a deep dental cleaning procedure with the help of a health professional.
There are many causes that lead to gum disease. One of the biggest contributing factors is the neglect of oral care. Not to mention, the patient does not have a routine dental checkup with his dentist. Another factor is smoking, in which the effects of nicotine essentially masks any glaring sign of periodontitis.
Here are the symptoms of a patient suffering from periodontal disease.
- Bleeding or swollen gums
- Deep gum pockets due to gum recession
- Halitosis or bad breath
- Teeth sensitivity
At the first sign of bleeding gums after brushing your teeth, immediately consult your dentist so the worse can be prevented. Otherwise, when the disease has been detected in its late stage, you will need a deep dental cleaning.
Deep dental cleaning procedure
Dentists perform a non-surgical procedure called scaling and root planing or commonly called deep teeth cleaning to address periodontitis.
Scaling
The dentist or hygienist carefully removes plaque and tartar deposits from the patient’s teeth and below the gum line. For some, they may need local anesthetic before the dental cleaning procedure so they would feel at ease all throughout. When the dentist uses traditional dental tools, a grinding sound is produced while the removal of plaque and tartar is ongoing.
Although, some dental clinics perform laser-assisted scaling for more precise treatment. Laser targets only the treatment areas, kills bacteria in seconds, and does not damage the tooth enamel. The patient rinses his mouth with oral antiseptic in between deep dental cleaning to remove debris from the mouth.
Root planing
During root planing, the dental professional smoothes the rough areas of the roots of the teeth. This way, harmful bacteria, including plaque and tartar are kept from re-adhering below the gumline. As a result, gums heal and reattach firmly to the patient’s teeth once again.
The dentist schedules a follow up checkup to monitor the patient’s progress after a deep dental cleaning procedure. He reassesses the status of gum disease to determine if additional procedure may be needed. On one hand, if the gum tissues responded well to the initial treatment, further dental procedure may no longer be necessary. Yet, the dentist will recommend regular teeth cleaning at least twice within the year to prevent recurring gum disease.
Your oral health does not end from having clean and whiter teeth. You also have to make sure that you have healthy gums. Ask help from your Ontario dentist to help you maintain the highest level of oral care.
