Your dentist may recommend deep cleaning for periodontal disease in our office near Auburn Hills
Teeth cleanings are a regular part of professional dental care. Most people have their teeth cleaned every six months, at which time plaque and tartar are removed from tooth surfaces and teeth are polished up for a beautiful sheen. With this as the standard of care, why is it that your dentist may recommend a deep cleaning?
There is a fundamental difference between a prophylactic cleaning and a deep cleaning, and it lies in the very reason the cleaning is being performed. Prophylactic dental cleanings performed every six months are designed to prevent oral bacteria from causing irritation and infection within gum tissue. When a deep cleaning is recommended, it is because your dentist has detected active periodontal disease, and this needs to be treated in order to prevent gum recession and the deterioration of bone tissue. In our office near Auburn Hills, we carefully evaluate all oral tissues during routine examinations.
Treatment for gum disease
Treatment for gum disease is designed around the individual patient. Our hope is to identify problems in their earliest stages. Where gum disease is concerned, early detection is vital to the maintenance of oral health. Standard treatment for mild to moderate gum disease is a deep cleaning, also called scaling. This procedure targets tartar that has become stuck to teeth at or below the gum line.
Tartar can be likened to a splinter in the hand. If a splinter remains under the skin for some time, the area around it may become red and swollen. In the instance that the splinter is not removed, subsequent infection becomes more likely.
An infection around a splinter is the body's attempt to get rid of a foreign object that does not belong. Likewise, gum disease is the infection that results from tartar, a foreign substance that does not belong in the mouth. When tartar sticks to tooth surfaces at and below the gums, tissue becomes red and inflamed. Gums may become tender, or may bleed when teeth are brushed or flossed. Ultimately, however, this infection can lead to the weakening of supportive structures, which is why gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults.
Deep cleaning tends to produce significant improvement in oral health within days or weeks of the scaling procedure. Though deep cleanings are not the sole form of gum disease treatment, they provide a great starting point to eliminate harmful oral bacteria from places they do not belong.
The best way to handle the problem of gum disease is to prevent it from developing or progressive too far. Your dentist at Metropolitan Dental Center provides excellent preventive care. Contact us at for your dental check-up.
There is a fundamental difference between a prophylactic cleaning and a deep cleaning, and it lies in the very reason the cleaning is being performed. Prophylactic dental cleanings performed every six months are designed to prevent oral bacteria from causing irritation and infection within gum tissue. When a deep cleaning is recommended, it is because your dentist has detected active periodontal disease, and this needs to be treated in order to prevent gum recession and the deterioration of bone tissue. In our office near Auburn Hills, we carefully evaluate all oral tissues during routine examinations.
Treatment for gum disease
Treatment for gum disease is designed around the individual patient. Our hope is to identify problems in their earliest stages. Where gum disease is concerned, early detection is vital to the maintenance of oral health. Standard treatment for mild to moderate gum disease is a deep cleaning, also called scaling. This procedure targets tartar that has become stuck to teeth at or below the gum line.
Tartar can be likened to a splinter in the hand. If a splinter remains under the skin for some time, the area around it may become red and swollen. In the instance that the splinter is not removed, subsequent infection becomes more likely.
An infection around a splinter is the body's attempt to get rid of a foreign object that does not belong. Likewise, gum disease is the infection that results from tartar, a foreign substance that does not belong in the mouth. When tartar sticks to tooth surfaces at and below the gums, tissue becomes red and inflamed. Gums may become tender, or may bleed when teeth are brushed or flossed. Ultimately, however, this infection can lead to the weakening of supportive structures, which is why gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults.
Deep cleaning tends to produce significant improvement in oral health within days or weeks of the scaling procedure. Though deep cleanings are not the sole form of gum disease treatment, they provide a great starting point to eliminate harmful oral bacteria from places they do not belong.
The best way to handle the problem of gum disease is to prevent it from developing or progressive too far. Your dentist at Metropolitan Dental Center provides excellent preventive care. Contact us at for your dental check-up.