What is Teeth Scaling?
Teeth scaling is a routine treatment for patients with gum disease and conditions that lead to gum disease. Standard dental cleanings remove calcified plaque, called tartar, and plaque that has settled on the surfaces of the teeth. Scaling reaches much deeper, below the gum line, deep cleaning the gingival pockets that characterize gum disease and helping the gums settle back into place around the teeth. It’s helpful to have some idea of how gum disease works if you want to understand how teeth scaling works.
Gum disease is a condition that thrives in an untended mouth. It’s normal for plaque to form and build up on your teeth, as saliva combines with bacteria, acids, and sugars and turns into a sticky film that coats the tooth until you brush and floss. Brushing at least twice a day and flossing daily helps remove plaque and manage the bacteria and food debris that contribute to new plaque. Periodic professional cleanings can remove any lingering plaque or calcified plaque, helping discourage new plaque from adhering. When these hygiene steps are neglected, gum disease forms. As plaque and tartar accumulate at the gum line and the gums grow inflamed, they loosen around the teeth, opening up pockets between the gums and teeth. These pockets encourage the accumulation of even more plaque and tartar, which increases the depth of the pockets – and so on. Gums are considered healthy when they attach to the tooth 1-3 mm below the gum line. If your gum pockets are 4 mm deep or more, your dentist will probably recommend teeth scaling, to remove plaque below the gum line and help the gums heal.
Your dentist will use specialized tools to remove plaque and tartar below the gum line. These tools may be handheld scraping tools called a scaler and a curette, or they may be ultrasonic instruments that use a fine vibration to remove tartar and a cool water spray to rinse it away. Scaling is often accompanied by root planing, a procedure that follows scaling and uses the same tools to go deeper below the gum line, down to the surface of the tooth’s root. Planing smooths the tooth root, allowing the gums to reattach from the root up.
Dental scaling is often performed with a local anesthetic, as this dental “deep clean” is an uncomfortable procedure when it’s not downright painful, and you shouldn’t be afraid to ask your dentist about your options for anesthesia as you plan your deep clean. Most of the time, dentists divide the mouth into halves or quarters, treating each portion of the mouth in a separate visit. This is particularly beneficial when gum disease is severe. If you have more moderate gum disease and would prefer to sit for a lengthy procedure, ask your dentist if this is possible; this may be preferable if you are the type of person who would just rather get it over with, and if your gum disease is less severe.
You should expect your gums to feel sore for a few days after your teeth scaling, especially if your dentist also did a root planing, and they may feel especially sensitive. Your dentist can recommend a desensitizing toothpaste, and you may also receive a prescription mouthwash to manage bacteria as your gums heal. Make sure to attend your follow-up visit so your dentist can verify that you’re healing properly, and follow their instructions for carefully, effectively cleaning your teeth and gums as your gums heal. Teeth scaling can heal gum disease, but you have to do your part, too.