However, dental plaque (which is made mostly of oral bacteria) can often calcify into tartar, becoming impervious to toothpaste and water. During your regular dental checkup appointments, your dentist or hygienist will also carefully clean away traces of plaque and tartar from all surfaces of your teeth and along your gum line. If oral bacteria have already worked their way underneath your gums, then you might require deep cleaning (or scaling and root planing) to prevent or treat gingivitis.

Ultrasonic Scaling and Root Planing

Regular cleaning involves thoroughly cleaning harmful oral bacteria from the visible surfaces of your teeth. By contrast, deep cleaning involves cleaning away bacteria from underneath your gums, where they’ve settled on your teeth roots. The process, known as scaling and root planing, involves carefully accessing the area underneath your gums and removing bacteria from the roots (scaling). Then, your dentist will polish the root surfaces (root planing) to make it difficult for bacteria to cling to them again. Deep cleaning may take more than one visit to complete, and if gum disease has developed, then your treatment may be followed by a regular schedule of periodontal maintenance.

Schedule a Dental or Deep Cleaning Today

Regular dental cleanings (and deep cleanings, when necessary) can help you prevent serious dental issues from ever developing! To schedule your next cleaning appointment, call Smith Family Dentistry in Greenville, TX, today at 903-455-5750. We proudly serve patients from Hunt County, Greenville, Royce City, Sulphur Springs, and all surrounding communities.