Routine Cleaning vs Deep Cleaning

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• Routine Cleaning: Professional teeth cleanings are scheduled twice a year, while X-rays are typically done once a year. However, depending on what our team observes, we may opt to do other exams during your visit. For a routine dental cleaning, our hygienist uses special tools to remove plaque and tartar deposits from the surfaces of your teeth. Daily brushing and flossing prevents plaque from building up and hardening into tartar. Once you have tartar, you can only have it removed by a professional.

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• Scaling and Root Planing: Also known as a “deep clean”. This next-level clean is needed when there are larger amounts of bacteria and tartar buildup. 

  • When dental “pockets” form, the bacteria and tarter fill these pockets opening the door to a number of health complications, such as periodontal disease and eventual tooth loss. Scaling and root planing is performed when pockets are greater than 4mm.

  • Removing plaque and tartar from the teeth’s surface and gum pockets are known as scaling, while root planing involves removing plaque and tartar from the surface of the roots. 

  • Unlike routine cleanings, it can take more than one appointment for the cleaning to be performed due to the extensiveness of the cleaning needed. 

  • In severe cases, a follow-up visit is needed to monitor the health of the teeth and gums, especially if pockets have formed. For those who have periodontal disease, a deep cleaning can actually help reverse the progression of the disease. Many patients see results within 3 months of having their teeth deep cleaned. 

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How Often Should You Get Your Teeth Cleaned? | It is recommended that you have a routine examination and cleaning, twice a year. This recommendation dates back to the 1890s when most people had tooth decay. 

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There are a few situations that we may suggest cleanings more than twice a year, here are a few reasons:

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• If you have a history of periodontal disease, you should get your teeth cleaned more often in order to prevent the recurrence of infections or disease. Specifically, with periodontal disease, we will typically set you up on three month recalls. 

• If you suffer from chronic conditions such as heart disease or diabetes due to their link to dental problems. 

• If you smoke, you should consider quitting. Smoking can permanently stain your teeth and create other tooth and gum problems. If you do not intend to quit smoking, you should get your teeth cleaned more frequently. 

• Those at higher risk for cavities or are in active dental treatment, may require recall intervals as short as three months.

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What Type of Cleaning do I Need?

After an oral exam, we will determine which type of cleaning will benefit you the most. During the exam, we will check the depth of the spaces between your teeth and gums(pockets). Ideally, you want the measurement number to be below 4mm. If the number is above 4mm, we may diagnose a deep cleaning(Scaling and Root Planing) instead of a routine cleaning.

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What does Bleeding Gums Mean?

You have probably heard your hygienist mention that your gums are bleeding, with a follow-up question about your flossing habits. If you have a lot of bacteria buildup in your mouth, it can irritate your gums to where they are more sensitive and susceptible to bleed easily. This can happen after your teeth cleaning because we have to brush and touch instruments against your teeth and gums. This gum sensitivity may last for a day or two after a cleaning, but this will go away. The moral of the story is.. If your teeth are bleeding it is very likely your floss schedule is out of sync.