Regular cleanings keep plaque and tartar at bay, preventing gum disease like gingivitis. Deep cleanings go further by addressing signs of early gum disease, like swollen and red gums that bleed easily.

During a deep cleaning, your Dental deep cleaning hygienist removes bacteria build-up from beneath your gum line and around the roots of your teeth. They use numbing cream to ensure you don’t experience pain during this procedure.

Scaling and Root Planing

Regular dental cleanings are a necessary part of your oral health care routine to prevent gum disease. They remove tartar & bacteria that build up over time, which can cause serious damage to teeth & gums. When these bacteria are left untreated they can lead to gingivitis, which if not treated can advance to periodontitis resulting in tooth & bone loss.

During a deep cleaning, your dentist or hygienist will perform a procedure called scaling & root planing. The first step in this treatment is to remove the plaque & bacteria from the surface of your teeth & roots (scaling). Once the surfaces are clean, the hygienist will then smooth out the roots of your teeth (root planing), which makes it more difficult for bacteria to re-adhere.

During this part of the procedure, you may experience some discomfort, especially if your gums are sensitive. To minimize this, your hygienist will apply a local anesthetic before the procedure begins.

Arestin

Arestin is a locally administered time released antibiotic that we place inside the periodontal pockets after scaling and root planing to reduce pocket depth and help gum tissue heal better than with just SRP. The tetracycline antibiotic in the Arestin microspheres targets and kills bacteria that are responsible for the infection.

Using a toothbrush and floss regularly is the best way to prevent the buildup of plaque and tartar which can lead to gum disease. Getting routine cleanings every six months can also greatly help. Keeping these up will reduce your risk of developing gum disease and if you have already developed gum disease, regular cleanings can keep the condition from progressing to more serious forms like periodontitis.

However, for some patients, a deep cleaning procedure is needed to fully treat gum disease. If you have developed periodontitis, the only way to prevent further damage and possibly tooth loss is by using a combination of SRP and arestin.

Numbing Cream

Regular cleanings deal with the surface of your teeth, while deep cleaning goes further, below the gumline. This can cause discomfort, so we use numbing cream or injections.

We then clean the area using a small dental tool and remove any plaque or tartar from below your gumline. We might also remove any infected tissue. In some cases, we might use a mouthwash that kills bacteria to reduce infection and aid healing.

After this, we might place antibiotic gel directly into the pockets between your teeth and gums. This is called Arestin and is a 1mg dose of minocycline that is delivered in tiny spheres to the treatment site under the gum.

You should avoid eating, drinking or chewing on the treated area until it feels better. You should also follow a soft food diet and avoid cold drinks while you wait for the numbness to wear off. You should also rinse your mouth with lukewarm water or salt solution as directed to help prevent an infection and reduce inflammation.

X-Rays

The dentist takes X-rays of the mouth during deep cleaning sessions. These allow them to see the roots and pockets of the teeth. This helps them remove the bacteria hiding there, stopping further damage and promoting gum reattachment.

During this part of the procedure, the dental hygienist removes the hardened calculus and plaque from the surfaces of your teeth and below your gumline. They also smooth the tooth roots to make it harder for bacteria and tartar to stick there. X-rays are also used to identify and locate bone loss as a result of periodontal disease.

It is normal for your gums to feel sore and sensitive after this extensive procedure. The discomfort should subside after a few days. Your dentist will provide you with specific homecare instructions based on your situation. They may schedule follow-up appointments 4-6 weeks after the deep cleaning to check on your healing progress. During these visits, they will measure the pocket depths of your gums to determine whether they are shrinking or not.