Deep Teeth Cleaning and Gum Therapy

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Deep Teeth Cleaning and Gum Therapy

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Deep Teeth Cleaning and Gum Therapy at our local dentist office near you in Ann Arbor & Waterford, Michigan

About Deep Teeth Cleaning

If you’ve been a little lax when it comes to your cleaning protocol, or haven’t had your teeth cleaned in a while, you might need a deep cleaning. Deep cleaning is more than just your standard descaling and tartar removal. It’s a treatment designed to stop periodontal or gum disease. If you look after your teeth well and visit your dentist for a cleaning and checkup every six months, a deep cleaning shouldn’t be necessary.

What is Deep Teeth Cleaning?

A deep cleaning involves a thorough cleaning of not just your teeth, but also the space between your teeth, and the pockets that result from improper oral hygiene.

The dental hygienist will start the procedure. They'll take a probe and see whether there are any pockets between your gums and teeth. If the depth of the tissue is five or more millimeters deep, it will be considered pocketed. The ideal is three or fewer millimeters.

If the hygienist feels that it’s warranted, they’ll suggest a deep cleaning treatment. During this treatment, the tartar and plaque are removed from your teeth, and also from the pocket area. This can be done manually with scaling tools or using ultrasonic pulses.

The next step is called planing. This is where the area around the roots of the teeth is cleaned. Normally this will have to be done over two separate appointments. Depending on the severity of the problem, you might need to come in for a further checkup to ensure that it's healing well.

Does Deep Cleaning Hurt?

Most patients only feel slight discomfort but no actual pain. There may be an odd twinge here and there, but the entire process doesn't take long at all.

Benefits of Deep Teeth Cleaning

Aside from the aesthetic benefits of not having visible tartar on your teeth, there are real health benefits as well. Plaque and tartar make it easier for bacteria to gain a foothold in your mouth. These bacteria can cross over into the bloodstream and increase your risk of developing heart disease.

Aside from that, regular cleanings can help to prevent gingivitis from progressing to full-blown periodontal disease. The former is unpleasant and causes bad breath and bleeding gums. Periodontal disease is a lot more serious.

Your gums start to recede. Your teeth loosen, and, eventually, an infection can settle in the bone. This is extremely painful and can result in the bone crumbling over time.

Taking Care of Your Teeth at Home

Once you’ve had your treatment, consider this a clean start. You should take special care to practice good oral hygiene afterward. Our dentist will no doubt recommend a good toothpaste to use. He may also prescribe a mouthwash with antibacterial properties to rinse with.

You know the drill here – you should brush your teeth twice a day. Brush them well to remove any trace of plaque. From there, floss at least once a day. If our dentist suggested using a mouthwash, use it every time you brush your teeth.

It’s time to get scrupulous about teeth cleaning at home if you want to halt periodontal disease.

Gum Therapy

Gum disease affects nearly half of all US adults, yet it’s completely preventable and treatable. Left untreated, however, it can lead to tooth loss and an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, dementia.

Preventing Gum Disease at Dental House

The first step in periodontal disease prevention is to practice good oral hygiene habits.

This includes

Twice daily brushing
Daily Flossing
Regular Dental Checkups for maintenance and plaque removal.

If plaque builds up, it then becomes tartar and can form below the gum line, causing inflammation and decay. If you need periodontal disease treatment or simply want to prevent potential gum disease later in life please contact the expert dentists at Dental House of Ann Arbor.

Symptoms of Periodontal Disease

It's important to note that bone destruction is mostly painless, and in early stages shows very few symptoms. That's why it's important to maintain regular visits to your dentist.

Common symptoms include loosening teeth, swollen gums, bleeding when brushing or flossing, and bad breath.

Periodontal Disease Treatment & Prevention

You may wonder can periodontitis be treated? The answer is yes, treatment and prevention are both possible.

A normal cleaning should be scheduled twice per year to keep your gums and teeth healthy and free from tartar. In cases where buildup has occurred, deep cleaning or "gum disease therapy" may be necessary. Deep cleanings may sound scary but they aren't, and with the Dental House spa-like amenities you may forget you are at the dentist all together!

Deep Cleaning to Prevent Gum Disease

Do you battle with bleeding gums? Do you have a problem with bad breath that nothing seems to fix? Do you have really sensitive teeth? If you answered, “Yes” to any of these questions, it might be time to visit your dentist to have a deep cleaning.

Periodontal disease, or gum disease, is a common but serious infection that damages your gums and jawbone, often leading to many other problems. While the initial symptoms of gum disease seem harmless, they are anything but. Visit Dental House for a local periodontist in Ann Arbor, MI for preventative treatment and reduce the risk of serious problems a few years down the line.

What are the Symptoms/Effects of Gum Disease?

Periodontal disease is something that starts off slowly. Here are the symptoms to look out for:

Bad breath that you cannot get rid of.
Swollen or red gums. This progresses to gums that bleed and are tender.
Chewing becomes painful.
The gums start to recede, and this makes the teeth looser.

What Causes Gum Disease?

We all have a mouthful of bacteria, mucus, and particles left behind by food and drink. Together these form the sticky substance that we refer to as plaque. This sticks to the teeth and gets in between the crevices as well.

Over time, layers of this plaque build up and harden into tartar. When it gets to this stage, it must be professionally removed.

How Does Deep Cleaning Work?

Your dentist will use a combination of hand-held instruments and ultrasonic instruments to help chip away the tartar. The ultrasonic instrument used vibrations to help loosen the plaque. The tool irrigates the mouth at the same time so that debris is washed away.

For particularly stubborn areas, the handheld-held instruments will be used to chip away at the tartar.

The number of appointments that you need to have done will depend on how much of a problem you have. Your dentist will discuss this with you when they have assessed your teeth.

In some cases, the dentist may prescribe medication to be used after the treatment. Things like a mouth rinse to kill off bacteria, gels with antibiotic properties, enzyme suppressants, etc. These are aimed at halting the spread of gum disease.

Fluoride Protection

Our teeth are under constant attack from acid and bacteria. Fluoride treatments can strengthen the surface of the tooth, making it resistant to these attacks. This treatment also helps prevent and reverse decay.

Surgical and Nonsurgical Treatments for Your Gums

Nonsurgical treatments such as scaling, root planing, and tray therapy are less invasive and more cost-effective. They’re usually the first method our dentists consider. Cases of advanced gum disease may require a surgical treatment like laser gum surgery.