When you visit your dentist for a routine dental check-up or dental cleaning, you are probably accustomed to having your teeth cleaned wherein the dentist removes the plaque and tartar that has accumulated on your teeth. This is known as a professional dental cleaning.
Teeth scaling, on the other hand, is a dental deep-cleaning procedure that is a necessary treatment for an active gum disease. It typically is an outpatient non-surgical procedure that may or may not require anesthesia, depending on the severity of the gum disease, medically termed as chronic periodontal disease. Scaling is when a dentist removes all the plaque and tartar accumulated above and below your gum line, which is why the procedure is also known as gum scaling.
If you’re wondering if there is a way to avoid having a dental deep cleaning procedure altogether, put your worries to rest. You can absolutely prevent a professional tooth scaling treatment by simply following and committing to basic dental hygiene. And to help you with that is the Oral-B Pro Series electric toothbrush . Its 3D technology thoroughly deep cleans by oscillating, rotating, and pulsating to break up and remove plaque than a regular manual brush.
What is chronic periodontal disease?
At times, improper dental hygiene can lead to plaque on teeth . The bacteria in the plaque can cause your gums to separate from your teeth. This results in huge widening gaps between your teeth and gums.
Without proper treatment, more bacteria can grow within these crevices since a routine tooth crushing cannot reach within these pockets. This may lead to other serious conditions such as loose teeth, loss of tissue and bone and losing your teeth among others. The symptoms of periodontal disease include bleeding gums, bad breath, inflamed or tender gums.
Flossing your teeth is therefore recommended to remove food particles that you cannot reach with brushing. Using the Oral-B Essential Mint Floss is a great option. Recommended by dentists, they are thin and easy to glide through, efficiently removing plaque and debris, to achieve a healthy mouth.
What does a tooth scaling treatment include?
If you show symptoms of gum disease, your dentist is most likely to recommend a tooth scaling treatment. This is done to treat the condition and avoid further damage that could lead to harmful effects of gum disease.
The first step in teeth scaling includes scraping off the plaque that has formed on your teeth below your gum line, and in between the gaps that are formed between your teeth and gums. A tooth scaling or gum scaling procedure is usually accompanied by root planning too. Root planning, in simple terms, is when your dentist soothes out the roots of your teeth, where the gum has pulled away, to facilitate gum attachment.
Though these are the basic steps of a teeth scaling and root planning procedure, depending on the severity of the condition of your teeth and gums, your dentist may suggest additional treatments. Oral antibiotics are ideally prescribed for faster healing, which typically takes no more than a few days. Disinfection of the whole mouth is also done.
Benefits and risks of teeth scaling
When your mouth has reached the stage wherein you are showing the signs and symptoms of chronic periodontal disease, teeth scaling, or dental scaling becomes more of a necessity than an option. If treatment is delayed then the gap between your teeth and gums will continue to widen, weakening the bone structure that provides support to your teeth. Gum scaling is therefore the best way to treat the condition.
Teeth scaling boasts of several benefit, like:
It helps in treating chronic periodontal disease
It protects the roots of your teeth, which would otherwise be exposed to damage
Helps in combating bad breath which is a result of the increasing bacteria that forms due to the plaque
It helps save your tooth or teeth
It prevents damage to the bone that supports your teeth
It helps keep your gums and mouth healthy.
There are, however, certain risks involved in this procedure:
There is no guarantee that this procedure will reattach your gums to your teeth
It may cause nerve damage, although it is rare
It is known to cause some pain and sensitivity
May lead to, gum receding
A deep cleaning procedure like teeth scaling is a treatment that most dentists suggest treating chronic periodontal disease, and hence is a common treatment. The procedure will typically involve a few appointments with the dentist, and anywhere between a few days to a week to recover.
Maintaining proper dental hygiene is important to keep such conditions at bay. Flossing your teeth and regularly brushing them, especially before going to bed, are the basics of oral hygiene. You can take your pick from range of Oral B electric toothbrushes . With features such as multiple cleaning modes and pressure sensors, you are sure to build your way to a healthier mouth.
