Deep Cleanings

Deep dental cleanings involve providing your teeth with a deep cleaning to get rid of plaque, tartar, and bacteria accumulated below the gum line and down to your tooth roots. This is done using special dental tools. The bacteria responsible for the gum disease are usually present in the tartar deposits on the teeth surfaces protected by your gums. When the bacteria multiply and grow, the toxins released by them will irritate your gums. This can lead to the gums pulling away from your teeth' surfaces, creating tiny pockets that allow the bacteria to move down to the roots. Infections around the lower part of your tooth can further weaken the roots, eventually leading to tooth loss.  

Undergoing a deep dental cleaning procedure removes bacteria present below the gum line and around the roots, thus preventing gum disease from advancing and leading to tooth loss. Your dentist will also smooth your tooth roots' surfaces to make it harder for bacteria to stick to them. Sometimes, the hard-to-reach germs are destroyed using an antibiotic gel applied to the teeth during the cleaning. Before the procedure, you will be administered local anesthesia to numb the area as the treatment involves going below the gum line.

A deep cleaning procedure is needed when too much bacteria and tartar buildup are present in the mouth. The deep cleaning process is also called scaling and root planing. Scaling involves removing plaque and tartar from the teeth's surface and gum pockets, while root planning involves removing plaque and tartar from the surface of the roots.