Scale & Root Planing
Indianapolis & Fishers, IN
At Implant Dentistry and Periodontics, we offer a wide range of periodontal and dental implant services. Our caring and compassionate team has one collective priority and that is your smile.
One of the best methods to treat periodontal disease
A deep cleaning, also known as scaling and root planing, is a treatment used to help manage periodontal disease. Unlike a regular dental cleaning, which focuses on removing plaque and tartar from the teeth and around the gumline, a deep cleaning reaches below the gums to remove deposits that can contribute to infection and inflammation.
Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria that constantly forms on your teeth. Brushing and flossing help keep it under control, but plaque that isn't removed can eventually harden into tartar. Once this happens, it can no longer be removed with a toothbrush or dental floss. Instead, special dental instruments are needed to clean it away.
When plaque and tartar accumulate below the gumline, they can contribute to inflammation and damage to the tissues surrounding your teeth. You might notice that your gums bleed when brushing, appear swollen or red, or have started pulling away from your teeth. Persistent bad breath can also be a warning sign. However, periodontal disease doesn't always cause noticeable symptoms, particularly in its earlier stages.
As periodontal disease progresses, the tissues and bone supporting your teeth can begin to break down. This can cause deeper pockets to develop between your teeth and gums, providing additional places for bacteria and tartar to collect. Without treatment, the damage can eventually lead to loose teeth and tooth loss.
Scaling and root planing helps address these problems without surgery. During scaling, plaque and tartar are removed from the surfaces of your teeth, including the areas below the gumline that you can't reach at home. Root planing involves cleaning and smoothing the exposed root surfaces to remove remaining deposits and help the surrounding gum tissue heal. Depending on the amount of buildup and the severity of your gum disease, treatment may require more than one appointment.
At Implant Dentistry and Periodontics, we'll examine your gums and determine whether a deep cleaning would be beneficial for your oral health. We'll also discuss what you can do at home to help prevent further problems and whether ongoing periodontal maintenance is recommended. To schedule an evaluation, call our Indianapolis office at 317-574-0600 or our Fishers office at 317-842-2273.
Award Winning Periodontics
in Indianapolis and Fishers
Dedication to providing the best periodontal care to Indianapolis and Fishers isn't just something Drs. Edwards and Christman talk about. They have gone above and beyond what most periodontists do to master his field of work. They have sought out further education to bring the most promising new treatments to their patients.
Treatment Benefits
There is a wide range of important health benefits associated with having a scaling and root planing procedure. At Implant Dentistry and Periodontics, scaling and root planing can:
- Provide Protection for your Teeth: Periodontal disease is a leading cause of tooth loss. The risk for periodontal disease is much greater if your gum pockets begin to exceed a depth of 3mm. When the pockets get deeper, more dangerous bacteria linger and thrive. Tooth loss can occur when the inflammatory response of the body is triggered and begins to destroy your gingival and bone tissue.
- Prevent Disease: Oral bacteria that lead to these periodontal infections are also able to travel through the bloodstream to other areas of your body. Periodontal bacteria can lead to lung infections and heart disease. Procedures like scaling and root planing will remove these bacteria and, while impeding the progression of periodontal disease, also prevent the bacteria from spreading into your body.
- Improve Your Aesthetic Appearance: Deep teeth cleaning, scaling and root planing will also remove any superficial stains already on your teeth because the process removes any present plaque below the gumline and on the teeth, giving you a whiter smile.
- Improves Halitosis or bad breath: How do you know if you have periodontal disease? Halitosis, or bad breath, is a quite common sign. A bad odor persists if unwanted food debris and bacteria are thriving in the oral cavity. Deep teeth cleaning (scaling and root planing) is a technique that can eliminate halitosis and restore your good breath.
Scaling and Root Planing Process
After the team at Implant Dentistry and Periodontics completes an extensive examination to define your oral health, the scaling and root planing procedure can begin. We most likely will recommend administering a local anesthetic for use depending on some factors like the current state of your gums, the amount of tartar on your teeth, the overall depth of the pockets, and the stage of the periodontitis.
- Scaling: During the scaling procedure, we use unique dental instruments to perform the scaling, sometimes including the use of an ultrasonic scaling tool. This tool can also remove the tartar and plaque build-up from the surfaces of the root and crown. This tool can also enable us to use an irrigation process to insert an antimicrobial agent underneath the gums. This can be used to decrease the number of oral bacteria.
- Root Planing: The root planing process involves removing the cementum and dentin on the root’s surface that is dense with unwanted microorganisms, toxins, and calculus. The tooth root is smoothed out, removing the bacteria, to facilitate healing. The cleaner and smoother your root surfaces are, the less likely bacteria will thrive there.
At Implant Dentistry and Periodontics, we offer a wide range of periodontal and dental implant services. Our caring and compassionate team has one collective priority and that is your smile.
Contact Our Team Today
Post Procedure Care
The most important thing you can do following your scaling and root planing procedure is to continue to practice good at-home oral hygiene habits. Brush your teeth twice daily for at least two minutes each time and continue flossing regularly. We might introduce you to an antimicrobial mouth rinse as well.
Along with these all-important daily, preventative practices, the next best thing you can do is to complement your efforts by scheduling regular visits every six months with us at Implant Dentistry and Periodontics. Sometimes we will alternate cleanings with a referring dentist. During these routine checkups, we can conduct deep cleanings and monitor the overall state of your oral health, catching issues before they develop. By maintaining these preventative habits, you will be well on your way to avoiding additional issues from developing in the future.
State of the Art Technology
For Advanced Periodontics
Offering the best periodontal care in the world requires the most advanced technology in the world. Drs. Edwards and Christman are always in search of new ways to provide patients with better results and do so in a way that minimizes pain and recovery time. They are also happy to adopt technologies that make it easier to communicate with patients and allow us to do our jobs in more environmentally friendly ways.
Earning your Trust with High Quality Periodontal Care
At Implant Dentistry and Periodontics, we know that every patient comes to us with different concerns. Before recommending treatment, we want to hear what's bothering you, what you'd like to accomplish, and what your budget is. From there, we'll go over your options and help you decide what makes the most sense for your situation. Our office also uses modern dental technology to assist with planning and treatment.
We know that dental appointments aren't exactly something most people look forward to. That's why we make a point of explaining what to expect, giving you time to ask questions, and doing what we can to keep you comfortable during your visit. If you'd like to schedule an appointment, you can reach our Indianapolis office at 317-574-0600, located at 8801 North Meridian St., Suite 103, or our Fishers office at 317-842-2273, located at 9885 E. 116th St., Suite 300.