Periodontal Deep Cleanings
At the Cosmetic and Dental Implant Center, your oral health is our priority. But we can’t provide the best care without considering the link between dental health and your general health and well-being.
The Importance of Gum Disease Treatment
?The American Dental Association states that untreated periodontal disease contributes to more than 50 serious general health conditions, including heart and lung disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and osteoarthritis. That’s why your gum health is vitally important to us, and preventive teeth cleanings and exams are the cornerstones of our dental practice.
However, gum disease is prevalent and affects almost half of all US adults over age 30. If you are one of them, we offer periodontal treatment tailored to your needs.
How We Treat Periodontitis
Gingivitis occurs when bacteria-filled plaque and tartar linger on teeth and cause inflammation. Without treatment, gingivitis can advance rapidly to periodontitis, where large spaces called periodontal pockets open between the teeth and gums.
Our dentist will perform an examination and take x-rays to understand how far the infection has progressed. If the pocket depth exceeds four millimeters, they will recommend scaling and root planing to treat the infection.
Without a deep cleaning procedure, the infection can progress, and gum surgery becomes the only treatment option. Our experienced periodontist can help prevent this from happening, and deep periodontal cleaning is the first step on the road to recovery.
What’s Involved with a Deep Dental Cleaning?
A deep periodontal cleaning, also called scaling and root planing, removes troublesome plaque and tartar buildup below the gum line. This step shrinks periodontal pockets and prevents the infection from spreading and attacking the ligaments and bones supporting your teeth.
- Scaling involves removing tartar from tooth surfaces above and below the gumline using specialized tools.
- Planing smooths rough spots on the tooth roots that can harbor bacteria. This step creates an infection-free surface for gums to re-adhere and helps speed recovery.
A deep cleaning procedure is performed under local anesthetic to numb the teeth and gums for your comfort. Treatment typically takes anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the extent of the infection. If the infection is severe, your dentist may schedule your treatment over two or more appointments.
Next, our periodontist will prescribe an ongoing treatment plan to prevent the recurrence of gum disease. This includes follow-up visits for professional cleanings and at-home oral health care, including mouth rinses, medication, or special toothpaste to keep your gums and mouth healthy.
Local Antibiotic Treatment for Gum Disease
Since gum disease is a bacterial infection, our periodontist often uses local antibiotic treatment as part of the scaling and root planing procedure.
Local antibiotic treatment—the least invasive form of periodontal therapy—helps kill bacteria and prevents infection from recurring as your gums heal.
Also, when it comes to aggressive periodontitis, the sooner we get it under control, the less likely it will lead to bone loss and, eventually, tooth loss.
The Benefits of Local Antibiotic Treatment
Periodontal disease can be difficult to treat with permanent results. Gingivitis and periodontitis are mixed infections, meaning they come from a diverse collection of harmful bacteria. As such, not all pathogens are likely to be eliminated with a single antibiotic. You could need a combination therapy of antibiotics to kill the infection entirely and keep it gone.
You might take oral antibiotics, but they expose your entire body to their side effects. However, smaller doses of local antibiotics at the site target microorganisms that cause infection and expose them to higher concentrations of bacteria-killing agents.
By applying the local antibiotic directly to the site of infection in the form of a gel, powder, or strip, we can protect your smile for days or even weeks after the procedure.
Why We Recommend Local Antibiotic Treatment
Local antibiotic treatment is far more effective than periodontal therapy alone. In some cases, bacteria that cause gum disease remain in the tissues even after scaling and root planing, and can become re-infected as they heal.
Because topical antibiotics conform to the gums and kill harmful bacteria on the surface and in hard-to-reach places, re-infection is far less likely. Other benefits include:
- A smaller dose of antibiotics
- Direct application
- Localized treatment instead of exposing the whole body
- No side effects common to systematic antibiotics
- Reduced pocket size and inflammation
Some antibiotic treatments can even prevent bone loss and reduce periodontal pocket depths. In some mild cases, topical application of antibiotics may even be an alternative to gum surgery.
Do You Have Gum Disease? Schedule a Teeth Cleaning Today!
Dr. Calvin Dang is our experienced periodontist who offers scaling and root planing and other advanced gum disease treatments at our dental office in Placentia, CA. If you have symptoms of periodontal disease like swollen gums or bleeding when you brush, please call any of our four convenient locations to schedule a teeth cleaning.
You can reach our Huntington Beach office at (714) 257-0330, our Brea office at (714) 968-2527, or our Placentia office at (714) 577-9070. In the Cypress area, please call our Cypress Smiles Dentistry office at (714) 261-2211.
