Dental cleanings remove calculus, leaving space between teeth where calculus once was. If kept clean, spaces may fill in with gum tissue over time,” Girard explains. Even though these new gaps may seem alarming, you shouldn't worry.
By removing the infection and tartar, the dentist smoothens the roots, allowing your gums to heal around the teeth. Your gums will heal in approximately 5 days, which will lead to significant tightening.
Following a deep cleaning, your teeth may be more sensitive than usual. This can last for up to several weeks. You may also experience some slight swelling or bruising. Icing the area can help with this, but please notify us if you experience any major swelling.
The usual gaps present between the teeth gets filled with deposits ,which after removal by scaling gives an effect of increased gap. These gaps will disappear once the inflamed gum tissues become normal and grow back to their original positions.
Often, patients complain that after scaling, cleaning, or root planing, space occurs, so many patients avoid it. It is 100% true, but it closes in few weeks, and teeth get stronger and firm. However, if there was a gap already present between the teeth, it will not close, which can only close by fillings or braces.
In most cases, your gum tissue will not come back once you've lost it. It's gone for good. However, this doesn't mean you're completely out of luck. With the right periodontal treatment, you may be able to halt the progression of gum recession.
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.
After scaling the calculus are removed and gap is seen.. Wait for two weeks, the gingiva will cover the gap , if it's a small gap..
Receding Gums
You may notice that your gums are pulling away from your teeth by one millimeter after scaling and root planing. But like swollen gums, there's nothing to fret about. With time, the gum recession will eventually heal.
Once that buildup is removed, in comparison, your teeth feel loose. But that doesn't make them likely to fall out! In spite of that increased feeling of looseness, removing the plaque and tartar buildup helps your gums and roots to reattach to your teeth, creating better oral health for you!
Tartar can give you foul breath, escalate bacteria buildup and destroy your enamel. It also fosters gum diseases like gingivitis and periodontitis. We must remember that you can only professionally remove tartar. But, we can take proactive steps to control the amount of plaque in our mouth and prevent tartar buildup.
Plaque and tartar build up at the base of the teeth. Inflammation from this buildup causes an abnormal "pocket," or gap, to form between the gums and the teeth.
The simple answer is, no. If your gums are damaged by, for example periodontitis, the most severe form of gum disease, it's not possible for receding gums to grow back. However, even though receding gums can't be reversed there are treatments that can help to stop the problem from getting worse.
You May Irritate Your Gums
The root is also smoothed so it's harder for bacteria to cling to. This treatment can cause a lot of pain and bleeding, which is why your dentist often numbs the area before cleaning begins.
Regular cleaning removes plaque and tartar from above the gumline. A deep cleaning, on the other hand, removes plaque and tartar from below the gumline. Gum disease causes a space or gap between your teeth and gums, where tartar and plaque can become trapped.
Avoid alcoholic drinks and hot or spicy foods until your gums are healed. Do not use any tobacco products for at least 72 hours after the procedure because tobacco slows healing. Brush the treated area very lightly the first night.
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.
Avoid sticky, hard (such as ice cubes, nuts, popcorn, chips), brittle, spicy, highly seasoned, or acidic foods in your diet. Foods such as soups, pasta, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, macaroni & cheese etc. are best. Be sure to maintain adequate nutrition and drink plenty of fluids.
What is recovery like after scaling and root planing? After your procedure, you might experience gum and tooth sensitivity for a few days. You may also experience redness, swelling, and bleeding of your gums. However, with a good oral hygiene routine, this should go away within days after your procedure.
Myth #3: My Teeth Feel Damaged After a Cleaning
If the dental hygienist had to scrape very hard to remove all of the plaque, it could leave the teeth and gums feeling sensitive. This might be especially noticeable the first time a person eats afterward. This is normal and shouldn't last more than an hour or so.
After scaling and root planing is completed, you may experience slight discomfort around the teeth for several days and increased sensitivity to hot and cold (and sometimes sweets) for up to four to six weeks duration. This is a normal course of healing.
Most patients respond very well to deep cleaning and, with good after care, see rapid improvement in the condition of their gums. Over time, pockets will shrink and your gums will be restored.
Avoid spicy and hard foods after deep cleaning. Hard foods can irritate already tender gum tissues as you chew, leading to increased pain and discomfort. Dentists also recommend avoiding acidic, spicy, or small foods that can get stuck in the gums like popcorn.