Who Needs a Deep Dental Cleaning?

Ideally, normal healthy pockets will be no more than 3-4 millimeters deep. If the pockets are deeper than 5 millimeters, you might be advised to do a deep scaling and root planing appointment. Scaling involves removing plaque and tartar from the surface of the teeth and from the pocket area between the teeth and gums. Deep cleanings can be performed by scaling and root planing using ultrasonic instruments and/or manual scaling tools. Root planing removes plaque and tartar from the roots of your teeth and smooth out the root’s rough spots where bacteria collect, helping remove the bacteria that contribute to gum disease and giving the gums a smooth surface to reattach. Root planing may take one to two hours over several visits with the dental hygienist. Ideally, after the deep cleaning appointment, the bacteria in the pockets of the teeth will be removed and in the next few weeks the gums should become healthier if the patient maintains a good oral hygiene at home.

Diagnosis: Schedule a checkup and cleaning appointment with your dental professional every six months. They will remove plaque, polish tooth surfaces, and check the healthiness of gum tissue with a periodontal probe. This helps determine if gums have pulled away from teeth, bleed easily or have pockets that may have formed around the teeth. Periodontal pockets deeper than 4 to 5 millimeters may indicate the presence of disease. It’s important to remove the bacteria to prevent tooth loss.

Deep cleaning : For patients with deep periodontal pockets, and those with chronic gum disease, it may be recommended that they do a deep cleaning which involves scaling and root planing.

If the deep cleanings aren’t enough to reverse periodontal disease, seeing a periodontist for a consultation and the possible need for gum surgery should be considered.