Oral health is critical to your overall health. Even so, only 65% of people go to regular dental visits — despite 90% of people in America having had at least one cavity, and 42% of adults dealing with gum disease.
The high number or dental issues are often the spotlight, but millions of people are still doing their best to follow practice proper oral hygiene, and have routine professional cleanings and exams.
But sometimes, additional procedures may be recommended to help your oral health, such as scaling and root planing — also known as a deep cleaning. Residents living in the San Jose, California, area looking for quality dental care including deep cleanings can find help with Dr. Roge Jacob, Dr. Magdalena Azzarelli, and our expert team at Hillsdale Dental Care.
So, when is proper brushing and flossing not enough? Why are deep cleanings necessary? Let’s take a closer look at scaling and root planing, including how you can benefit from this effective periodontal treatment.
Dental plaque, which consists of saliva, food particles, and bacteria, is the film that develops on your teeth after you eat. If it isn’t removed each day, it hardens and calcifies into tartar that can get both above and below your gum line and cause damage to the underlying enamel.
Using an ultrasonic dental device or a manual scraper, scaling works above the gum line, and root planing works below, to remove lingering plaque and tartar. You may be numbed with an anesthetic to reduce discomfort during the process. Depending on the extent of the buildup, we may recommend multiple treatment sessions.
Scaling and root planing helps reduce your risk of the long-term effects associated with tartar and plaque buildup, including periodontitis, or gum disease. In addition to helping prevent or treat early gum disease, a deep cleaning promotes clean, healthy gums, protects the roots of your teeth, and eliminates associated problems like bad breath (halitosis).
Even if you practice dental hygiene daily and remain vigilant in your dental visits, several problems can still affect your teeth and increase your risks of gum disease. These include a family history of gum disease, heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes, using birth control, improperly fitting dental devices, dental misalignments (malocclusions), smoking, and stress.
If you’re dealing with persistent bad breath, a bad taste in your mouth, receding gums, gum or tooth sensitivity, loose or shifting teeth, bite changes, chewing pain, or dental devices not fitting properly, you may benefit from a scaling or root planing treatment.
Routine dental care at home is vital to healthy teeth, but for many people, deep cleanings with scaling and root planing are often just as important to lower the risk of gum disease and its possible complications.
Schedule a visit at Hillsdale Dental Care in San Jose, California, today to see if a deep cleaning is something you need to stay on top of your oral health.
