You may have gum disease without even realizing it. Many patients experience no pain alongside gum disease. Gum disease might manifest itself through bad breath or by having bleeding gums. However, you can treat gum disease through a good teeth cleaning appointment.

Deep Cleaning Objectives

The goal of deep cleaning is to alleviate the swelling and bleeding that can result from gum disease. It's an important part of preventing gum disease from becoming more severe and can play a role in recovering from gum disease. It is not considered a surgical procedure and is non-invasive. 

Your dentist will determine when deep cleaning can help treat gum disease when the space between your teeth and gums is greater than 3 mm. This can be measured using a periodontal probe. Also, your plaque buildup affects whether or not your dentist will recommend a deep cleaning.

Brushing your teeth is often not enough. You will need a deeper cleaning that only your dentist will be able to provide. For this reason, it's important to see your dentist twice a year not only for a checkup, but also for a deep cleaning. 

Deep Cleaning Methods

One of the important parts of a deep cleaning is scaling. This is where the dentist removes plaque and tartar. Tartar is not easy to remove by simply brushing your teeth and flossing. You might experience some pain or discomfort during this process, which will be based on how much tartar has built up on your teeth. 

You might also develop bleeding if you have deeper pockets and more buildup. However, your dentist can apply a topical numbing product that can eliminate the pain and discomfort that results from the tartar buildup. Your dentist will explain pain management options that are available to you.

In addition to using hand instruments, your dentist can also use ultrasonic tools to use vibrations to remove tartar. The dentist will also spray water to rinse debris away after it has been dislodged using the ultrasonic cleaning methods. With a deep cleaning, your dentist will also clean the roots of your teeth either using dentist instruments or lasers.

Number of Sessions

If possible, your dentist will try to perform the deep cleaning in one session. However, if your oral health is in a very poor state, you may need to have the procedure carried out in quadrants. But regardless of how bad your gum disease is, there is a way to recover. Talk to a dentist, like those at Scott W. Murphy Dentistry, to learn more.