Dental Cleanings

A healthy dental patient who regularly brushes and flosses should have his/her teeth professionally cleaned (dental prophylaxis) and examined every 6 months. A set of bitewing radiographs (x-rays) are taken once a year to ensure that any cavity or oral health issue is detected early and treated appropriately. Healthy patients have minimal plaque and tartar and their gums do not bleed easily when cleaned.

Scaling & Root Planning (Deep Cleaning) is required when a patient presents with heavy tartar and staining above and/or below the gums. This type of patient either has not had a dental cleaning performed for a long period of time or is suffering from periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is a chronic infection of the gums that results in pocketing, bleeding and bone loss around the teeth.A deep cleaning consists of anethesizing half the patient’s mouth (either left or right) and subsequently cleaning all the tartar down to the depth of the pocket. A subgingival irrigation with chlorohexidine follows whereby the remaining bacterial flora is rinsed away and gum healing is thus promoted. The same procedure is usually performed a week later on the other half of the mouth.
Treating Periodontal Disease: Scaling and Root Planing Brochure