Most periodontists recommend scaling and root planing twice a year or more, depending on the severity of your gum disease. In fact, some patients are seen every 3 – 4 months.
If the gums bleed as part of the daily hygiene routine of brushing and flossing, it indicates the need for scaling and root planing. Blood from the gums directly points to the presence of bacterial growth below the gum line.
The general recommendation for scaling and root planing is to undergo this procedure at least twice a year. The timeframe may be shorter depending on how plaque deposits form around your teeth and if they become hard to manage.
Scaling and root planing can be used both as a preventative measure and as a stand-alone treatment. These procedures are performed as a preventative measure for a periodontitis sufferer.
Instead, you will require special ongoing gum and bone care procedures, known as Periodontal Maintenance Therapy, to keep the disease under control and keep your mouth healthy. In most cases, Periodontal Disease is a lifelong disease that never goes away.
It's never too late to seek treatment for gum disease, and the degree of treatment you require will depend on how advanced it is.
With gum disease, you won't keep your teeth for long. In fact, unlike tooth decay which impacts your smile one tooth at a time, periodontitis can cause you to lose multiple, if not all, teeth at once. Gum disease starts small as a mild form called gingivitis.
There is risk of infection with scaling and root planing because of the bacteria that is cleaned out during the procedure. With a deep cleaning treatment, sometimes bacteria can be released into the bloodstream during the process. Scaling and root planing may cause some discomfort.
Many dentists have been hesitant to recommend scaling and root planing (also called a deep dental cleaning) in the past due to fear it may cause discomfort and potentially damage healthy tissue if not performed correctly. Laser dentistry makes the process easier for many dentists and less invasive for patients.
The disadvantages of deep cleaning teeth include nerve damage and potential infections if you have a compromised immune system. The cleaning might cause pain, and sensitivity in the treatment doesn't guarantee reattachment of your gums to the teeth. The cleaning might even cause further gum recession.
Individuals with healthy teeth and gums only need a regular dental checkup and cleaning twice a year; however, depending on the severity of your periodontitis, your dentist may recommend scaling and root planing, also known as a deep cleaning, at least twice a year or more.
How frequently should scaling be done? Plaque formation on the teeth is a continuous process. If this is not removed by brushing it starts mineralizing into tartar within 10-14 hours. Such persons may require periodic scaling, every 6 months or so.
Scaling and root planing can manage the inflammation of the gum tissue. While it won't regenerate new gum tissue, it may encourage the remaining gum tissue to reattach to the teeth. If you've lost a great deal of gum tissue, then you may need a surgical treatment called a gum graft.
The Risks involved. As we opened, if you do not remove the plaque the bigger risk is for the gum disease, or periodontal disease, to get worse causing serious damage to both the soft tissue and the teeth. This can lead to loose teeth, bone loss and teeth falling out.
Is Scaling and Root Planing Painful? No! There is no obvious pain associated with scaling and root planing; however, you may feel some discomfort during the process depending upon your teeth sensitivity. It can still be combated via some local anesthesia.
Within a week the gums will start to heal and reattach to the roots of the teeth. The initial discomfort should be gone. Full recovery and reattachment can take up to 6 or 8 weeks, but patients are usually back to normal eating, drinking, brushing, and flossing within the first week.
If you have been diagnosed with periodontal disease, and suffer from bone loss, inflammation, and/or tartar has accumulated beneath the gumline, then the hygienist will need to clean 'deeper' below the gumline, and this is often known as a dental deep cleaning.
At present, root planing is no longer used to emphasize the deliberate removal of cementum, but to contribute to the removal of subgingival plaque.
While a general dentist can treat gum disease with cleanings, and scaling and root planing, a periodontist can treat advanced periodontal disease cases that a general dentist cannot.
The average cost for a scaling and root planing procedure is around $200 to $300 if you don't have dental insurance. Learn more about how this procedure works, associated costs and financing options to help you pay. Advanced gum disease (chronic periodontitis) occurs in 47.2% of American adults over 30.
If performed as soon as possible, scaling and root planing can sometimes reverse gingivitis, preventing it from progressing into more serious gum disease. However, in many cases, gum disease has already settled enough to make reversing it impossible.
What is Periodontal Scaling and Root Planing? In the dental world, deep cleaning is also known as Scaling and Root planning. Scaling is the process of removing dental tartar from the surfaces of the teeth. Root planing is the process of smoothing the root surfaces and removing any infected tooth structure.
Periodontal disease is not a life-threatening condition. However, it might require you to seek treatments from various medical professionals when the bacteria from the infection spread to your bloodstream to affect your overall health.
Stage 4: Progressive Periodontitis
This stage involves teeth looseness, shifting teeth, red, swollen and painful gums, often forming an abscess. The end result — eating and even smiling is hard and painful, and you may lose most of your teeth.
Nearly half (46%) of all adults aged 30 years or older show signs of gum disease; severe gum disease affects about 9% of adults.