Treat Gum Disease Below the Gumline With a Deep Cleaning
When plaque and tartar collect beneath the gumline, a routine dental cleaning may no longer be enough to restore healthier conditions around your teeth. Scaling and root planing, often called a dental deep cleaning, is a nonsurgical periodontal treatment that removes harmful buildup from below the gums and cleans the root surfaces of affected teeth.
At Henrietta Family Dental, Dr. Soliman provides scaling and root planing in Rochester, New York, for patients with signs of periodontal disease. Treatment is based on the condition of your gums, the depth of periodontal pockets and the amount of buildup around your teeth.
If you have bleeding gums, persistent bad breath or signs of gum disease, call 585-424-3310 to schedule a periodontal evaluation with Dr. Soliman.
What Is Scaling and Root Planing?
Scaling and root planing is a nonsurgical treatment used when gum disease has progressed below the gumline. The procedure has two primary parts:
- Scaling: Plaque and hardened tartar are removed from the tooth surfaces and from areas beneath the gumline.
- Root planing: The root surfaces are carefully cleaned and smoothed to remove remaining deposits and create a healthier environment for the surrounding gum tissue.
The goal is to reduce the bacteria and buildup associated with periodontal inflammation and help bring gum disease under better control.
When Is a Deep Cleaning Recommended?
A regular preventive cleaning is designed to maintain healthy teeth and gums. Scaling and root planing is different because it is used when periodontal disease has created deeper areas around the teeth that cannot be adequately cleaned with routine brushing, flossing or a standard professional cleaning.
Dr. Soliman may recommend scaling and root planing when an examination identifies concerns such as:
- Periodontal pockets around the teeth
- Bleeding or inflamed gums
- Tartar buildup beneath the gumline
- Persistent bad breath associated with periodontal problems
- Gum recession
- Changes in the bone or tissues supporting the teeth
- Other signs of active periodontal disease
If you are experiencing these symptoms, learn more about periodontal treatment at Henrietta Family Dental.
Scaling and Root Planing vs. a Regular Dental Cleaning
Although both procedures remove plaque and tartar, they serve different purposes.
A routine dental cleaning and exam is primarily preventive care for patients whose gums are generally healthy. It focuses on removing deposits from accessible surfaces around the teeth and gumline.
Scaling and root planing goes deeper. It is periodontal therapy designed to clean areas beneath the gumline and along the roots of teeth when gum disease is present.
Dr. Soliman will determine which type of cleaning is appropriate after evaluating your periodontal health.
What Happens During Scaling and Root Planing?
Your treatment plan depends on how much of your mouth is affected and the severity of the periodontal condition.
Periodontal Evaluation
Before treatment, Dr. Soliman evaluates your teeth and gums for inflammation, periodontal pocketing, recession and other signs of gum disease. Dental X-rays may be used when needed to evaluate the bone supporting your teeth.
Keeping You Comfortable
Because scaling and root planing involves cleaning below the gumline, local anesthesia may be used when appropriate to help keep the treated area comfortable.
Removing Plaque and Tartar
During scaling, deposits are carefully removed from the teeth and from areas beneath the gumline that are difficult to reach with normal brushing and flossing.
Cleaning the Root Surfaces
Root planing focuses on cleaning and smoothing affected root surfaces. This removes additional deposits and helps create conditions that support healthier gum tissue.
Treating the Mouth in Sections
Depending on the extent of gum disease, scaling and root planing may be completed during one appointment or divided into different areas of the mouth over multiple visits. Dr. Soliman will explain the recommended approach before treatment begins.
What Are the Benefits of Scaling and Root Planing?
When recommended for periodontal disease, scaling and root planing can help:
- Remove plaque and tartar from below the gumline
- Reduce bacterial buildup within periodontal pockets
- Decrease gum inflammation and bleeding
- Create a cleaner environment around the tooth roots
- Help control the progression of periodontal disease
- Protect the tissues and bone that support your natural teeth
- Improve persistent bad breath when periodontal bacteria are contributing to the problem
Results depend on the severity of the condition, your response to treatment and how consistently periodontal health is maintained afterward.
Why Treat Gum Disease Early?
Gum disease can progress without causing significant pain. As periodontitis becomes more advanced, it can damage the tissues and bone that hold teeth in place. Over time, this loss of support may contribute to loose teeth and eventual tooth loss.
Scaling and root planing is intended to control periodontal infection before additional supporting tissue is damaged. Treating the condition and following a recommended maintenance schedule can help protect your natural teeth and gums.
What Should I Expect After a Deep Cleaning?
Your gums and teeth may feel temporarily tender or sensitive following treatment, particularly in areas where inflammation or deeper periodontal pockets were present. Dr. Soliman will provide instructions based on the treatment you received.
Good oral hygiene remains important after scaling and root planing. Follow the brushing and interdental cleaning recommendations provided by our team, and keep your scheduled follow-up visits so your periodontal response can be evaluated.
How Do We Know if Scaling and Root Planing Worked?
Periodontal treatment requires follow-up. After your gums have had time to respond, Dr. Soliman may reassess inflammation, bleeding, periodontal pocket depths and other indicators of gum health.
This evaluation helps determine whether your periodontal condition is improving and what type of ongoing care is needed.
Some patients may need additional periodontal therapy depending on the severity of disease and how the gums respond to initial treatment.
Do I Still Need Dental Cleanings After Scaling and Root Planing?
Yes. Scaling and root planing addresses existing periodontal disease, but plaque and tartar can accumulate again. Maintaining healthier gums requires consistent home care and professional follow-up.
Your recommended maintenance schedule may differ from a standard preventive cleaning schedule. Dr. Soliman will determine how often you should return based on your periodontal condition and individual risk factors.
Can Scaling and Root Planing Help Bleeding Gums?
When bleeding is caused by periodontal inflammation and buildup beneath the gumline, scaling and root planing can help address the source of the problem by removing plaque and tartar from affected areas.
Bleeding gums can have different causes, however. A periodontal evaluation is needed to determine whether deep cleaning or another type of treatment is appropriate.
Can a Deep Cleaning Help With Bad Breath?
Persistent bad breath can sometimes be associated with bacteria and buildup around the gums and inside periodontal pockets. Removing these deposits may improve bad breath when periodontal disease is contributing to the problem.
Because chronic bad breath can also have other dental or medical causes, Dr. Soliman will evaluate your oral health rather than assuming gum disease is responsible.
Experienced Periodontal Care From Dr. Ihab Soliman
Dr. Ihab Soliman has practiced dentistry since 2011 and personally provides periodontal care at Henrietta Family Dental. His experience includes more than 100 periodontal cases along with continuing education focused on periodontal treatment.
By evaluating the gums together with the teeth, bite, existing restorations and supporting bone, Dr. Soliman can develop a treatment plan based on your overall oral health rather than treating periodontal symptoms in isolation.
Learn more about Dr. Ihab Soliman and the comprehensive dental care available at Henrietta Family Dental.
When Additional Periodontal Treatment May Be Needed
Scaling and root planing is an important nonsurgical treatment for many patients with periodontal disease, but every case is different. If certain periodontal pockets remain difficult to manage, Dr. Soliman may discuss whether another therapy would be appropriate.
For selected cases, ARESTIN® gum treatment may be used as part of a periodontal treatment plan. Dr. Soliman will determine whether an adjunctive treatment is appropriate based on your individual periodontal findings.
Scaling and Root Planing FAQ
What is scaling and root planing?
Scaling and root planing is a nonsurgical periodontal treatment that removes plaque and tartar from above and below the gumline and cleans affected tooth-root surfaces. It is commonly recommended when gum disease has created periodontal pockets around the teeth.
Is scaling and root planing the same as a deep cleaning?
Yes. “Deep cleaning” is a common term used to describe scaling and root planing. Unlike a routine preventive cleaning, it focuses on areas beneath the gumline affected by periodontal disease.
How do I know if I need scaling and root planing?
Dr. Soliman determines whether deep cleaning is needed after examining your gums and periodontal health. Bleeding gums, deeper periodontal pockets, tartar beneath the gumline, recession and other signs of periodontal disease may indicate that treatment is appropriate.
Does scaling and root planing hurt?
Local anesthesia may be used when appropriate to help keep treated areas comfortable. Some temporary tenderness or sensitivity may occur afterward. Dr. Soliman will explain what to expect based on the extent of your treatment.
How long does scaling and root planing take?
The amount of treatment needed varies. Some cases may be treated during one appointment, while others may be divided into different areas of the mouth over multiple visits. Dr. Soliman will recommend an approach based on the extent of your periodontal disease.
Can scaling and root planing stop gum disease?
Scaling and root planing can help control periodontal disease by removing harmful buildup beneath the gums. Long-term periodontal health also depends on your response to treatment, effective home care and appropriate professional maintenance.
Will my gums grow back after scaling and root planing?
Treatment can reduce inflammation and improve periodontal health, but gum tissue and bone already lost because of advanced periodontal disease do not simply regenerate after a deep cleaning. Dr. Soliman can explain what improvement is realistic based on your condition.
Can I brush and floss after a deep cleaning?
Maintaining good oral hygiene is important after periodontal treatment. Dr. Soliman will provide specific instructions for brushing and cleaning between your teeth based on the areas treated and your individual needs.
Will I need more frequent cleanings after scaling and root planing?
You may need a periodontal maintenance schedule based on the severity of your gum disease and your response to treatment. Dr. Soliman will recommend how often you should return after evaluating your periodontal health.
Where can I get a dental deep cleaning near Rochester, NY?
Dr. Soliman provides scaling and root planing at Henrietta Family Dental in Rochester, New York. Call 585-424-3310 to schedule a periodontal evaluation and find out whether deep cleaning is appropriate for you.
Take the Next Step Toward Healthier Gums
Bleeding gums, periodontal pockets and buildup beneath the gumline should not be ignored. Scaling and root planing can remove deposits that routine cleaning cannot reach and help bring periodontal disease under better control.
Call 585-424-3310 or contact our office to schedule an evaluation for scaling and root planing in Rochester, New York.