Scaling_and_Root

Scaling and Root Planing

Advanced gum disease sometime requires the dentist to clean below the gum line to
remove stubborn, crusty deposits called tartar or calculus, and to remove damage
near the tooth root. This is done to prevent further damage and restore and stabilize
the tooth.

For some patients, a local anesthetic is administered to the affected area. Then, a
small scaling instrument and/or ultrasonic cleaning device are used to remove the
deposits.

After cleaning, the root may need to be smoothed, or planed, to restore it as much
as possible to its original shape. Planing also allows your gum tissue to better attach
itself to the root and heal properly.

Flap Surgery

Some people have problems with gums that don't conform to their teeth as well as
they should. Gums should be snug around the base of teeth so the teeth can be
anchored firmly and remain healthy.

Conditions such as prolonged or untreated gum disease can actually cause gums to
separate from teeth and form opportunistic pockets for bacteria and other debris;
decay can also cause further deterioration.

Left untreated, these pockets can lead to serious infections that cause bone loss,
making tooth extraction very likely.

A procedure called pocket reduction, or flap surgery, was developed to correct this
problem. The procedure involves scraping away hard deposits such as tartar or
calculus and reshaping damaged bone, with the eventual goal of reducing the size
of the pocket and allowing the tissues to firm up around the teeth.