What You Need To Know About Deep Teeth Cleaning
Routine deep teeth cleaning appointments include a technique called ‘scale and polish.’ It involves removing plaque and tartar from hard-to-reach places you can’t clean with regular brushing and flossing before polishing your teeth’ surface.
It’s the best method for those with gum disease, especially if it has become periodontitis.
Besides cleaning the surface of the teeth, it can remove the build-up tartar below your gum line.
Although done under local anesthetic, deep teeth cleaning may make your gums feel sore after.
Let’s deep dive into deep teeth cleaning and see how it differs from regular cleaning — and how it can benefit you.
Deep Teeth Cleaning vs. Regular Dental Cleaning
Deep teeth cleaning is ideal for patients with gum disease. This condition can cause severe infections or complete tooth loss when left untreated.
It involves removing excess tartar and plaque from areas of your teeth underneath the gum line. And not only it removes these harmful sediments, but it also reduces the gap between your teeth and gums.
This specialized cleaning procedure differs from regular cleanings as it focuses on plaque BELOW the gum line, whereas the standard scale and polish deals with plaque ABOVE the gum line.
What Does Deep Teeth Cleaning Involve?
You can expect the following when getting deep teeth cleaning at the dentist:
1. Diagnosing for Gum Disease
Before receiving your deep cleaning, your dentist must diagnose you with gum disease first.
Using a periodontal probe, they measure the gap between teeth and gums. If the gap’s beyond 3 mm, you’re confirmed to have gum disease.
There are three stages of gum disease, and these include:
- Gingivitis
- Periodontitis
- Advanced Periodontitis
The first stage is treatable even without deep teeth cleaning. But the other two will need the specialized procedure to remove hardened tartar and plaque.
2. Go to Your Initial Appointment
Deep teeth cleaning takes two appointments as your dentist will use a local anesthetic to numb and treat each side of your mouth in each schedule. They do this to ensure you won’t feel pain during the cleaning.
Once numb, your dentist will remove tartar and plaque below your gum line.
3. Go to Your Second Appointment
Your dentist will treat the remaining side of your mouth during your second visit. They’ll use similar techniques from the last meeting.
Aside from that, they’ll also check how the treated side of your mouth is recovering.
Both appointments will take between 1 and 4 hours as you might need additional treatment if you’re dealing with a severe infection.
4. Follow-Up
Your dentist will likely schedule you for a follow-up after the two cleaning appointments. You can expect this to happen two weeks after your 2nd meeting.
Here, your dentist will measure the pockets between your gums and teeth to see if there’s been any reduction. And depending on the outcome of your deep clean, your dentist may refer you to a specialist for more treatment.
Will Deep Teeth Cleaning Hurt?
Although deep teeth cleaning can be uncomfortable, it shouldn’t hurt you. After all, your dentist will administer local anesthesia through a gel or an injection.
At most, you may find your gums sore and swollen and your teeth sensitive in the first week of the treatment. These are normal, and you prevent the pain from worsening by waiting at least a day after treatment before you brush and floss your teeth.
Finally, avoid eating foods and drinking liquids that can heighten your sensitivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is there any downside to in-office deep teeth cleaning?
A: Like any other medical procedure, you may experience symptoms after deep teeth cleaning. And these include heightened sensitivity or bleeding and sore gums after a week of the treatment.
Q: How often must I receive professional deep teeth cleaning?
A: You should only need to get deep teeth cleaning once. After all, dentists only perform it to treat those with gum disease, especially those at an advanced stage. But you’ll need to conduct regular dental visits for a non-deep dental cleaning to stop gum disease from relapsing.
Q: Will my teeth fall off after deep cleaning?
A: Unless you have severely rotten teeth, it’s unlikely your teeth will fall out after deep cleaning. But some individuals may find their teeth to feel looser after the treatment. Please don’t mistake this as them falling off, as it only means your teeth are now free from tartar and plaque! And your gums should reattach to your teeth in no time.
Q: Will deep teeth cleaning stop my gum disease?
A: Undergoing deep teeth cleaning can help slow or halt gum disease. It can ease bum bleeding, preventing tooth loss. And without this treatment, you may need to opt for more invasive procedures like bone grafts.
Get Affordable Deep Teeth Cleaning in Tijuana, Mexico
If you think you’ve developed gum disease and want to know more about how deep teeth cleaning can help, contact our team. You can schedule an appointment with us by calling (619) 344-0475 or visiting our office today!
