Dentist Near Edgewater NJ Discusses Scaling Procedure

While traditional dental cleanings take care of the surface of your teeth, scaling goes one step further and provides a much deeper cleaning. Dental scaling is typically performed by our dentist serving Edgewater NJ on patients with advanced gum disease and extensive plaque or tartar buildup.  Below, we’ll look at dental scaling to help you understand the procedure and what it means.

 

Scaling is a common dental procedure for patients suffering from gum disease. It is a procedure that cleans below the gumline and removes plaque and tartar buildup. Sometimes, this is simply referred to as a deep cleaning since it goes above and beyond a traditional cleaning that you would receive during your routine visits to Anderson Dental.

 

For those with healthy gums, the tissue fits tightly around their teeth and prevent bacteria from getting in. On the other hand, when gum disease begins taking shape, the gum tissue begins to loosen from the tooth. As the gum disease progresses, pockets will begin to form, which provides the perfect place for plaque bacteria to get trapped and cause problems such as bad breath and tooth decay.

 

Scaling involves carefully removing plaque bacteria from just below the gumline. For this, there are two methods that can be used by our Edgewater NJ serving dentist. 

 

The first method involves using handheld tools to scrape plaque away from your teeth. We use a scaler and a curette, and will manually insert the tools below the gumline to reach plaque that your toothbrush left behind.

 

Secondly, we may use an ultrasonic tool to scale your teeth. This device uses a vibrating tip to chip away plaque and tartar buildup, as well as shooting a jet of water to help flush out any buildup trapped in pockets.

 

After a dental scaling is complete, we will likely follow up with a procedure known as root planning. This involves reaching deeper below the gumline to smooth the surface of the tooth’s root. This allows the gum to reattach itself properly to the tooth and promotes healthier gums.

 

For people with sensitive gums, dental scaling can be slightly uncomfortable. We may choose to apply a local anesthetic to numb the area making the procedure more comfortable for the patient. Therefore, if you’re concerned about pain, be sure to discuss this with our dentist near Edgewater NJ before we begin the procedure.

 

In severe cases, scaling may take several visits to complete. During each visit, we'll address a different portion of your mouth, performing a thorough cleaning of each individual area.

 

If you’re nervous or anxious about the procedure, talk to Dr. Walker or Dr. Furukawa and see if they’re able to schedule the procedure for a single visit. This might not always be possible; however, it may be if you’re only suffering from moderate gum disease.

 

If you have any other questions for our team, or you would like to schedule an appointment, don't hesitate to contact Anderson Dental by calling (201) 461-5400.