Deep cleanings aren’t something you can do yourself at home. You’ll need to visit a dental provider to get this treatment's benefits. But why and when do dentists recommend it?
Downtown Dental Studio offers deep dental cleanings and other treatments that are sometimes necessary for oral health. Our providers—Fadi Beydoun, DMD, MS, Alexander Kimon, DMD, and Karina Zaygermakher, DMD—can offer you safe, effective treatments that will manage issues and avoid further problems down the road.
The CDC recommends that patients visit their dentist at least once a year. While twice a year may be the best option, some people don't see their oral health provider for years, which can cause problems.
People who don't brush, floss, and use mouthwash properly will experience issues with plaque building up on the gum line. Over time, the plaque hardens into tartar, which affects the gums, causing the first stage of gum disease, gingivitis.
But even if you brush, floss, and use mouthwash regularly, plaque can still form in places that are hard to reach with these tools, causing the same buildup near the gum line. This is why you should always see your dentist regularly. With regular cleaning, hard-to-reach plaque can be cleared away. But if it's allowed to build up, you will need a deep cleaning.
Contrary to popular belief, deep dental cleanings aren't just longer or more intense. Instead, they deal specifically with plaque that has built up and hardened into tartar and clean it away from the gums. Deep cleanings are how we reverse gingivitis and keep it from worsening into periodontitis. They involve two main procedures: root scaling and planing.
Scaling is the first part of the process. It involves removing all the plaque from the area between your gums and teeth. When your gums become infected, they start to pull away from the teeth, exposing the roots and creating an even deeper pocket into which plaque can form. This process uses a sharp tool to remove all the plaque, and you're given a local anesthetic.
The second part of the procedure, planing, involves smoothing out the tooth roots so that they can reattach to the gums. The reattachment happens over time, but planing helps to encourage this effect. After the planing stage is through, your provider will probably be able to tell you if you’ll need any additional treatments, including a possible second deep cleaning.
If you have gingivitis or any of its symptoms, haven't had a dental cleaning in over a year, or don't care for your teeth at home regularly, you may need a deep cleaning. It's best to discuss the issue with your provider, and then you can have an accurate idea of which treatments will best support you.
To make an appointment at our office in the Financial District, call us at 212-964-3337, or visit us online. We look forward to providing you with excellent care.
