Dental scaling is the most common non-surgical way to treat gum disease, which is also known as periodontitis. This will remove plaque and tartar from your teeth and help your gums regain health. But if you have severe periodontal disease and your condition may require gum surgery, the periodontist may recommend scaling and root planing before the surgery. If gum disease is caught early and hasn’t damaged the structures below the gum line, professional cleaning should be done. If the pockets between your gums and teeth are too deep, however, scaling and root planing may be needed.
Scaling is when your dentist removes all the plaque and tartar (hardened plaque) above and below the gum line, making sure to clean down to the bottom of the pocket. Your dentist will then begin root planing, smoothing out your teeth roots to help your gums reattach to your teeth. Scaling and root planing may take more than one visit to complete and may require a local anesthetic.
There are two types of scaling instruments and some dentists or dental hygienists may use both:
· Scaling with hand-held instruments
Your dentist or periodontist will use a dental scaler and curette to manually remove (scale) the plaque from the teeth. Because the dentist or dental hygienist can’t see the plaque, they rely on touch to identify areas of tartar buildup and rough spots.
· Scaling with ultrasonic instruments
Ultrasonic scaling instruments clean plaque from the teeth with a vibrating metal tip that chips off the tartar and a water spray to wash it away and keep the tip cool.
The whole procedure may be done in a single visit, although generally a quadrant (1/4th of the mouth) or half of the mouth is recommended per appointment. After scaling and planing, you can expect that your gums will be numb from the anesthesia and then possibly a little tender. But if you maintain a consistent oral health routine of twice-daily tooth brushing and daily flossing, your gums should quickly regain a firm, healthy, pink appearance.
