Gum Disease May Require Scaling and Root Planing

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Have you heard of scaling and root planing as a process to prevent gum disease? During the course of a routine dental visit, you can expect a teeth cleaning that cleans plaque from your gum line. This is done to help prevent gum disease, which is a gum inflammation that develops when tartar and bacterial plaque build up. To prevent advancing gum disease, we may perform scaling and root planing to help your gums stay healthy.

This non-surgical gum treatment prevents gum disease from becoming worse. While healthy gum tissue clings to each tooth, a buildup of bacterial plaque and tartar along and under the gums can lead to the formation of pockets that cause gum tissue to withdraw from the teeth. If not treated, this condition could result in bone and tooth loss.

Our dentist may perform scaling and root planing as one of the initial procedures to prevent gum disease. First, with the use of a special tool, we can scale away buildups of bacteria, plaque and tartar from the surface of the tooth enamel and tooth root, and then we smooth out any rough surfaces on the root so that harmful substances can’t easily reattach to the gums. With scaling and root planing, we can encourage healed gums that fit snugly against the teeth.

The completion of this gum procedure enables the gums to firm up, cease bleeding and reduce gum pockets. To aid in this process, our dentist may prescribe a mouth rinse or medication for infection prevention, as well as schedule your next dental cleanings so that we can prevent further gum recession or reemergence of periodontal pockets.

Please feel free to schedule an appointment with Dr. Thomas Ouellette if you are concerned about gum disease and would like to learn more about scaling and root planing in Denver, Colorado. Contact Thomas E. Ouellette, DDS, PC at 303-296-1402 today to speak with our team!