What Is Dental Scaling And Polishing?

Dental scaling is the cleaning of teeth which involves the removal of plaque (soft, sticky, bacteria-infested film), tartar (calculus) deposits and external stains (formed due to smoking and more intake of tea) that have formed over a long period of time.

If the tartar or calculus is allowed to accumulate on the teeth it will harbour bacteria that damage gums and leads to gum problems (which is one of the most common causes of teeth loss). The purpose of cleaning and polishing is basically to leave the surfaces of the teeth clean and bacteria-free.

How Is Dental Cleaning Done?

The dentist uses a specialized ultrasonic instrument to gently remove these deposits without harming the teeth.

Ultrasonic Instrument

Ultrasonic instrument uses small vibrations to knock larger pieces of tartar, It also sprays a cooling mist of water while it works to wash away debris and keep the area at a proper temperature.

Different types of tips are used for cleaning, they are by no means sharp since their purpose is to knock tartar loose and not to cut into the teeth.

With larger deposits, it can take some time to remove the hard calculus, generally, 2 sittings can be required to clean completely.

One can go for oral prophylaxis (cleaning) once in six months.

Polishing

Once all the surfaces are smooth, the dentist may polish your teeth. Polishing is done using a slow-speed handpiece with a soft rubber cup that spins on the end. Prophylaxis paste – a special gritty toothpaste-like material – is scooped up like ice cream into the cup and spun around on the teeth to make them shiny smooth.

Color Of Gums Turning To Red:

Red gums generally indicate infection or inflammation. If the gums turn to red they are likely to become more sensitive and prone to virus infection. It is typically a warning sign.

Gums Getting Swollen Or Sore:

Plaque on the teeth is created by oral bacteria when people don’t take good dental care. Your gums might become inflamed as a result of these bacteria, resulting in swollen or painful gums.

Bleeding Of Gums

Occasional bleeding of gums can be due to vigorous brushing of teeth, but frequent bleeding of gums is a clear indication of gum disease or even more serious problems like periodontitis, leukemia, vitamin deficiency or lack of blood clotting cells

Red Patches Or Ulcers In The Mouth : Red patches or ulcers can be caused due to infection from a virus, bacteria, like strep throat, or fungus in the mouth. They can be seen on the roof of the mouth, tongue and sometimes on the back of the throat.

Bad Breath And Taste In The Mouth : Bad breath and taste in mouth can be because of multiple reasons but the most serious reasons could be decay of tooth or gum disease.

Generally bad breath is due to bacteria covering the stones in the tonsils.

Visit the dentist to know if the reason for your bad breath is normal or something serious.

Gap Appearing Between Teeth And Gums : It occurs due to poor dental hygiene and oral care. If not treated in time it can lead to loosening of teeth, gum infections, and other severe dental problems.

Shrinking Of Gums : If suddenly you realize that your teeth look longer than ever, it doesn’t mean they are growing. Probably, your gums are shrinking or receding and a gap is being created between your gums and teeth. This gap exposes a sensitive part of the tooth called ‘dentin’, causing teeth sensitivity when eating something cold.

Wiggly Wobbly Teeth

The main reason behind shaking of teeth is gum disease.

When gums get infected they lose their grip on the teeth and due to which tooth or teeth become unsteady and sometimes fall off.

If you have any one or more of the above mentioned symptoms, then it is a clear indication of gum infection or disease.

We will advise you not to waste time further and visit your dentist, to get the best treatment of gum disease as soon as possible.

Because in many cases when delayed, even mild gum infection turns to more advanced gum disease like – ‘Gingivitis’.

Gingivitis: Cause And Risk Factor

Gingivitis is the most typical mild form of gum disease, which is characterized by irritation, redness, and swelling (inflammation) of your gingiva, or the area of your gum that surrounds the base of your teeth.

Gingivitis is mainly caused due to overgrowth of plaque or bacterial infection.

The disease must be treated quickly to avoid further complications, because if the treatment is delayed gingivitis can lead up to the more serious infection known as periodontitis.

The disease, gingivitis can cause the gums at the base of the teeth to become inflamed, red, and swollen.

When brushing and flossing, the infected person can also detect any loose teeth or bleeding from the gums.

The gums may eventually turn white and begin to recede as a result of the illness.

Gingivitis can be recognised at the initial stage by a faint yellow tint or coating on your gums.

Types Of Gingivitis

There are mainly 2 types of Gingivitis, those are:

Dental Plaque-Induced Gingivitis

This happens when plaque gets accumulated on the gums due to improper dental hygiene and causes discoloration of gums, irritation and pain.

Non-Plaque-Induced Gingivitis

There could be multiple reasons for non-plaque-induced gingivitis like fungal, viral or bacterial infections in the mouth.

The other reasons could be reaction to foreign particles, illness or allergies.

In both the types of gingivitis, taking expert advice from your dentist is highly recommended in order to avoid any permanent damage to the teeth or gums in future.

Causes Of Gingivitis

There is a fine space between the gum edges that we see and the real place where teeth are actually attached to gums.

This fine space is called sulcus, which is sometimes enough for food or plaque to get trapped and cause gingivitis or other types of gum infections.

Mouth bacterias continuously accumulate layer by layer on teeth, this accumulation of bacteria is called plaque and it gets hardened with time, if proper oral hygiene is not maintained.

When the layer of plaque exceeds beyond the gum line, the chances of your gums getting infected becomes very high.

If the patient does not receive proper treatment of gum diseases on time, they might have to face the following painful outcomes:

- Separation between the tooth and gums

- Injury to bone supporting the teeth and soft tissues

- Weakening and loosening of teeth

- Bleeding and forever pain in the gums

- If the infection escalates, tooth might fall off

Medications To Use To Treatment Of Gum Diseases

Gum disease treatment is possible with medicines if identified at an early stage of infection, that too is not applicable in all the cases.

Still the medication options to treat gum disease include:

- After root planing, pockets can be simultaneously filled with antiseptic chips containing antiseptics.

- An antibiotic called doxycycline can be suggested which helps prevent enzymes from harming teeth.

- Infections of the gums that linger the possibility of increasing can be treated with oral antibiotics.

Treatment Of Gum Diseases

It is very important that a patient receives proper treatment of gum disease in time, otherwise it may directly or indirectly become a cause of other diseases in the body.

There was a time when people used to fear going to the dentist, as the process of treatment of gum diseases was painful, but nowadays with advancement in technology and use of modern equipment the process has become quick and painless.

At Hyderabad Laser Dentistry, we have an experienced team of past masters, who is ready to treat your gum infections and diseases.

We have state-of-the-art equipment and facilities to perform the procedure as per your convenience and comfort.

The treatment of gum disease can be done through 2 ways depending on the severity of case, those are

- After root planing, pockets can be simultaneously filled with antiseptic chips containing antiseptics.

- Non-Surgical Treatments for Gum Disease

- Surgical Treatment of Gum Disease

Non-Surgical Treatment For Gum Diseases

Surgery is not required for the following treatment procedures

Root Planning And Scaling

Under local anesthesia, a deep-cleaning, non-surgical treatment called scaling removes plaque and tartar from both below and above the gum line, smoothing out rough places on the tooth root (planning).

The germs are eliminated and a clean surface is created, allowing the gums to reconnect to the teeth. If your dentist or periodontist finds that you need to have plaque and calculus (hardened plaque, also known as tartar) removed from under your gums, scaling and root planning is done.

Professional Cleaning Of The Teeth

Every tooth will have plaque and tartar removed from above and below the gum line during a routine checkup by your dentist or dental hygienist (plaque that builds up and hardens on the tooth surface and can only be removed with professional cleaning).

Your dentist might advise scheduling professional dental cleanings more frequently than twice a year if you exhibit any indicators of gum disease.

Gum disease that is active cannot be treated with dental cleanings. However, they are a crucial preventive step that might assist you in halting its growth.

Laser Treatment

With the advancement in biotechnology, laser treatment has been introduced in Hyderabad.

It is the modern way of professionally cleaning teeth more effectively and painlessly.

The treatment will remove tartar without bleeding and assure complete disinfection of teeth from any microorganism that might cause infection in the teeth

Surgical Treatment Of Gum Diseases

Surgery is required to be performed for the procedures

Bone Grafts

A bone graft replaces the bone damaged by gum disease using fragments of your own bone, synthetic bone, or donated bone.

The grafts serve as a platform for the regrowth of bone, which restores teeth’s stability.

A new technology called tissue engineering allows your body to regenerate bones and tissues at an accelerated rate.

Guided Tissue Regeneration

It stimulates bone and gum tissue growth when the bone supporting your teeth has been destroyed.

In combination with flap surgery, a mesh-like fabric is inserted between the bone and gums.

As a result, gum tissue does not grow into the bone area, which allows the bone and connective tissue to regenerate to support the teeth better.

Flap Surgery Or Gap Reduction Surgery

Flap surgery/pocket reduction surgery is a procedure in which the gum tissue is lifted and tartar removed from teeth.

In certain cases, any irregular surfaces on the damaged bone may be smoothed to reduce the likelihood of bacteria hiding.

The gums are then readjusted to provide a snug fit around each tooth, thus decreasing the space where hazardous bacteria can develop and lessening the danger of periodontal issues associated with it.

Bone Surgery

After flap surgery, the bone around the tooth is reshaped to decrease the craters, which makes it more difficult for bacteria to gather and grow.

Gum Graft

This procedure reinforces thin gums or fills areas where gums have receded.

Grafted tissue is stitched into place, adding tissue to the affected area.

How Can Gum Disease Be Prevented?

Gum diseases can be prevented by maintaining proper oral hygiene and taking good dental care. If you ask the expert, we will suggest you to follow the below mentioned tips to save your bright smile and avoid any type of gum disease:

- Brush your teeth twice daily - Everyday floss your teeth - Avoid smoking or consuming tobacco - Refrain eating too citrus or other acidic food items

Book Your Appointment Today

Lastly, do not hesitate from visiting your dentist thinking that the pain in the tooth might go away on its own, because it might not happen and you may end up losing a tooth.

We are always available at Hyderabad Laser Dentistry for your treatment of gum diseases and to keep up your bright smile.

Book your appointment today, to see your dentist!

Frequently Asked Question

You May Ask

Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, is a chronic bacterial infection that affects the gums and bones supporting the teeth. It is one of the most common causes of tooth loss in adults.

Symptoms of gum disease can include red, swollen, or tender gums, bleeding when brushing or flossing, bad breath, and loose teeth.

The primary cause of gum disease is the buildup of plaque and tartar on teeth, which can cause inflammation of the gums. Other factors that can contribute to gum disease include smoking, genetics, and hormonal changes.

Treatment for gum disease depends on the severity of the condition. Mild gum disease may be treated with a deep cleaning called scaling and root planing, while more advanced cases may require surgical intervention.

The best way to prevent gum disease is to maintain good oral hygiene habits, including brushing and flossing regularly, avoiding tobacco products, and attending regular dental check-ups.

It is recommended that adults see a dentist at least twice a year for routine check-ups and cleanings. Your dentist can evaluate the health of your gums and provide early detection of any potential problems.

Hyderabad Laser Dentistry have experienced, best dentist in Hyderabad for treatment of gum dieseases.