Why You Need Deep Cleanings

Everybody prioritizes their oral hygiene, yet many of our patients throughout Northeast, OH are generally not familiar with what exists under the gum line. Even though teeth appear small, they are considerably bigger than people imagine. In cases where gum disease starts, regular cleanings are not enough to completely bring back your teeth and gums back to a healthy state. Once your gum tissues develop inflammation from periodontal disease, deep cleanings become vital.

Our practice are frequently asked, "What does a deep cleaning involve?" A deep teeth cleaning is also known as scaling and root planing. Scaling scrapes away tartar and bacterial build up that could be attached beneath the gum line on the roots and within the pockets of gum tissue surrounding the roots. Root planing smoothes the roots of bumpy areas in which microbes and bacteria thrive if not dealt with. This particular process helps your gum tissues to regenerate and make it possible for your gum pockets to decrease. Antimicrobial drugs may also be delivered below the gum line in order to further assist the healing process. The deep cleaning program in most cases involves 2-4 appointments, and requires a local anesthetic ("numbing") for treatment.

Periodontal disease is not curable and is a systemic disease, much like diabetes or hypertension. This makes deep cleanings extremely important if one want to preserve good oral health. Gum disease is oftentimes a "silent disease" as well, since a large number of patients do not have any noticeable pain or symptoms. Gum disease attacks the structure of the tooth and diminishes the bone, roots and gum structure. In the event that the tartar and bacteria are amassing under the gum line, it can cause tooth mobility and loss. If not properly handled, mouth bacteria can have an effect on your whole entire body, not just the gums and teeth. After the initial disease process is managed by using the deep cleanings, it is necessary to get regular follow-up cleanings to stop future irritation and bone loss around the teeth. The purpose of deep cleanings is to stop the active disease, preserve the oral health, and maintain enhanced oral and general health.

To learn more on root planing and scaling, check out Oral-B's website. To learn more on how you can prevent periodontal disease, contact our office or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.