We all know, to keep our teeth and gums healthy, we need a routine professional cleaning every 6 month, which involves scaling teeth and the gum line to remove plaque and tartar, and polishing to remove stains and smooth the tooth's surface.
If gum disease is caught early and hasn’t damaged the structures below the gum line, a professional cleaning should do. If the pockets between your gums and teeth are too deep, however, scaling and root planing may be needed.
Scaling and root planing is a non-surgical procedure done to treat periodontal disease, sometimes called a deep cleaning.
During root planing process, we will numb the gums and tooth roots with a local anesthesia, but teeth scaling and root planing cause very little discomfort.
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 a deep cleaning, you may have pain for a day or two and teeth sensitivity for up to a week. Your gums also may be swollen, feel tender and bleed. 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.