The most common form of preventive dental care is routine dental checkup and cleaning appointments. That’s because everyone needs regular checkups and cleanings, even if their teeth and gums are currently in optimal health. There are also more involved preventive dental treatments designed to help you avoid some of the more serious consequences of oral health concerns. For example, if you develop an early stage of gum disease, then periodontal cleaning could be important to addressing it and preventing the potentially serious consequences of gum disease from threatening your oral health.
The concepts of dental and periodontal cleaning
The point of preventive dental cleaning is to thoroughly clean your teeth to remove traces of plaque and tartar (calcified plaque) from their visible surfaces. When you attend dental cleanings consistently, they can help you prevent the formation of gum disease, tooth decay, chronic bad breath, and other concerns related to excessive oral bacteria. However, if certain types of oral bacteria are allowed to work their way underneath your gums, then regular dental cleaning won’t be enough to remove them. The point of periodontal cleaning, also known as scaling and root planing, is to prevent any buildup of bacteria underneath your gums from leading to severe gum disease.
What scaling and root planing accomplishes
Much like regular dental cleaning, the process of scaling and root planing involves carefully removing all traces of oral bacteria from your teeth. In the case of periodontal cleaning, however, the process is focused on your teeth roots underneath your gums, rather than the visible crown structures above them. This makes periodontal cleaning a more involved process, but a necessary one for protecting your gums from gingivitis and gum disease. Carefully removing bacterial plaque and tartar from your teeth roots can give your gums a chance to recover from the infection and heal.
Why it’s important to address gingivitis early
Once bacteria begin to buildup underneath your gums, they can lead to infection in the tissues (gingivitis) that quickly evolves into more serious periodontal damage. The longer it takes to address your gingivitis, the more damage may occur to your periodontal tissues and the more extensive treatment you may need to recover. During every routine dental checkup and cleaning, your dentist will carefully inspect your gum tissues to determine if you may be at risk of developing gingivitis, or already have, and could benefit from scaling and root planing.
Learn if you need periodontal cleaning
If you develop gingivitis, then your routine of preventive dental care may need to include comprehensive periodontal cleaning to control it. To learn more, schedule an appointment with us by calling Dreem Dentistry in Leawood, KS, today at 913-681-5500. We also serve patients who live in Overland Park and all surrounding communities.
