Scaling and Root Planing

If you have been diagnosed with the more advanced form of periodontal disease, periodontitis, it’s important that you take action right away with professional dental treatments designed to control bacterial growth, eliminate the infection, and restore your oral health.

At Steve A. Sato, DDS, we help patients combat the ill effects of periodontal disease with regular dental cleanings and more thorough treatments like scaling and root planing.

What Is Periodontal Disease?

Also referred to as gum disease, periodontal disease is a bacterial infection of the gums that can lead to severe side effects like pain, receding gums, deterioration of the periodontal ligaments and tooth loss. Severe cases can even cause degeneration of the jawbone, blood infections, and systemic health problems.

How Does Periodontal Disease Develop?

Periodontal disease develops when plaque and tartar are allowed to accumulate on the teeth along the gum line. This buildup pushes the gums away from the teeth, leading to gum recession and creating space between the teeth and gums where bacteria thrive.

The buildup of plaque and tartar that can lead to periodontal disease most commonly occurs as a result of poor oral hygiene due to a lack of brushing and flossing at home and/or lapsed professional dental cleanings.

Treating Advanced Periodontal Disease With Scaling and Root Planing

What Is Scaling?

During a scaling treatment, our dentist uses special tools to scale and polish the crowns of your teeth and their roots. This removes plaque, tartar, and calculus that has accumulated on these surfaces. We also apply an antimicrobial irrigation to the areas below the gum line. This helps to further halt bacterial growth.

What Is Root Planing?

Similar to scaling, root planing delivers a much deeper, more thorough cleaning. Root planing involves using special tools to remove portions of the tooth’s unhealthy, diseased dentin and cementum that are embedded with bacteria, disease, plaque, tartar, and toxins.

At the same time, root planing involves smoothing the roots of the teeth. Since bacteria struggle to cling to and grow on smoother surfaces, root planing helps discourage future infection at the tooth’s roots.

Are Scaling and Root Planing Painful?

Scaling and root planing treatments are performed with local anesthetics to ensure that patients experience no pain or discomfort during the treatment.

Following treatment, you might have some temporary pain or inflammation at the site of the treatments. If this is the case, we recommend using over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications for relief.

How to Control Periodontal Disease at Home

You can prevent periodontal disease from developing — or keep an existing gum infection from worsening — by visiting the dentist every six months for a professional teeth cleaning and by practicing good oral hygiene habits at home.

You should brush for two minutes and floss your teeth at least twice a day. Additionally, you can also rinse with an alcohol-free antibacterial mouthwash to eliminate even more harmful bacteria.

Schedule a Periodontal Disease Appointment at Our Dayton Dental Clinic

If you have been diagnosed with periodontal disease and aren’t getting results with regular dental cleanings and at-home oral hygiene, we welcome you to schedule a dental examination with our dentist.

Dr. Sato will carefully examine your teeth and gums to assess the severity of your periodontal disease before recommending an appropriate treatment plan to get your oral health back on the right track.