Everything You Need To Know About Scaling And Root Planing.
The start of most treatments fighting periodontal disease is usually a comprehensive deep cleaning, Scaling, and root planing.
Those procedures aim to remove dental plaque and tartar, which causes gum inflammation and disease. Both scaling and root planing removes bacterial residues on the root surfaces below the gums. As soon as those bacterial deposits have been removed, the gums can start the process of healing.
What else is part of the procedures?
Dr. Hegde will only start the Scaling and root planing process after carefully examining the patient’s mouth. Sometimes that could include x-rays. Dr. Hegde assesses the condition of the gums. That means she checks how much tartar is present and examines the depth of the pockets and how far periodontitis has already progressed. In some cases, local anesthesia is used during the procedure, but in most cases, only topical anesthetic creams are needed.
What happens during Scaling:
During Scaling, plaque that attached itself to the tooth surfaces is removed. The targeted area is located below the gum line, along the root. Scaling is done through the use of an ultrasonic scaler. Still, it is usually also completed by hand with the help of specially designed instruments. Those instruments can reach below the gum line but do not damage the gums.
What is the purpose of Root planing, and how is it done?
The purpose of Root planing is to remove “cementum” What exactly is Cementum? Cementum is made of a material called “cementoblasts” that slowly forms over a person’s lifetime. It is a tough, calcified layer of tissue covering the root of your tooth. What is Cementum, and what is its purpose? Cementum is best described as a tough layer of tissue that facilitates the periodontal ligament to attach firmly to a tooth.
The surface dentin also has a layer of tartar, and other unwelcome toxins attached to the dentin must also be removed. The root of the tooth is made smooth. Smoothing the root makes it much harder for bacteria to attach themselves again.
When Dr. Hegde finds deep pockets between teeth and gums during her examination, surgery may be needed to restore periodontal health. Why might surgery be required? Because those pockets are not readily accessible with a tooth, brush Patients can rarely keep these pockets clean and avoid the reoccurrence of plaque buildup.
What are the benefits of the treatment?
The first benefit is that it helps prevent disease.
The second benefit is often life-saving. If left untreated, bacteria from periodontal infections can get into the blood and affect different organs of the body. The consequences are heart and respiratory diseases. Scaling and root planing remove bacteria that are the cause of these illnesses.
The treatment makes losing teeth less likely
If the gum pockets are more than three mm in depth, the chances of developing periodontal disease increase. As and when pockets deepen, more bacteria are attracted. That eventually causes your body to react with an inflammatory response that destroys gingival and bone tissue. The result is a potential loss of teeth. Scaling ad Root planing helps the gums to recover and to heal. The pockets start to shrink and become more maintainable.
The final benefit of scaling and root planing is that it can make the mouth more aesthetically pleasing, lessening bad breath caused by the rest of food and bacteria. Superficial discoloring/stains on the teeth might also be removed during the Scaling and planing treatment.
