Can Teeth Fall Out After Deep Teeth Cleaning?
Maintaining healthy gums is essential for overall oral health, as gum issues can affect the entire mouth. Over time, plaque and tartar can build up beneath the gums in areas that regular brushing, flossing, and routine cleanings can’t reach. If not addressed, this buildup can lead to gum disease, which, in severe cases, can result in tooth loss. Deep cleanings are a common dental procedure designed to remove plaque and tartar from below the gumline, helping prevent further damage. If you’ve been recommended for a deep cleaning, you might wonder how it could affect your teeth, including the possibility of tooth loss. Read on to learn more about how deep cleaning relates to gum health and tooth stability.
What is a deep teeth cleaning?
Deep cleanings involve scraping and clearing away plaque and tartar from beneath the gumline. For the procedure, the dentist administers local anesthesia to numb the area needing to be cleaned. This allows for the dentist to go further beneath the gums to reach areas otherwise unreachable. It also ensures that the patient is comfortable and pain free for the duration of the procedure. Deep cleaning involves using specialized tools to get beneath the gumline and remove the plaque, tartar, and bacteria buildup that has accumulated there. The dentist begins by scaling the gums, which is scraping the plaque and tartar away and then performs root planing which smooths the roots and further clears away bacteria.
How do deep teeth cleanings impact a person’s teeth?
Deep cleanings can expose areas of the teeth that may have already been weakened by gum disease. This can lead to a feeling of looser teeth following the procedure. The most common reason this can happen is that the cleaning may have made the damage from the gum disease more noticeable. This tends to happen in cases where the gum disease had already caused significant damage to the support structures of the teeth. Another common reason is that the cleaning reduced inflammation in the gums or removed plaque and tartar that had been providing a false support for the teeth. Prior to the cleaning, inflamed and swollen gums or buildup may have been holding the teeth tightly in place. The reduction of the swelling and clearing away of the plaque and tartar may have caused the teeth to feel looser in the mouth. This feeling is usually temporary though and the teeth eventually adapt to the new normal.
Can teeth fall out following a deep cleaning?
It is rare for someone to lose a tooth following a deep cleaning, but it can happen. Following the recommendations of your dentist to help your gums heal after the procedure lessens the risk of this. If a tooth falls out after a deep cleaning it was likely already severely damaged due to advanced periodontal disease or significant bone loss. In other words, the tooth loss was not caused by the deep cleaning itself but would have happened anyways because of the damage from the gum disease.
What does this mean for me?
If you need a deep teeth cleaning, but are concerned that it might cause you to lose teeth speak with your dentist. They will be able to assess your mouth and let you know the risks you have for tooth loss following a deep cleaning.