Scaling and Root Planing

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If your teeth and gums are healthy, maintaining their health means scheduling your routine dental check-ups and professional cleaning. If your gums show signs of gum disease, however, it may be important to perform scaling & root planing in addition. This procedure, also called a “deep cleaning,” is offered by the expert dentists at Fennell, Yoxthimer, and Associates, DDS.

What is Scaling & Root Planing?

Scaling and root planing is a nonsurgical dental procedure that is performed to ensure the health of your gums and treat periodontal disease. It is usually performed as part of a routine checkup and professional dental cleaning and is sometimes simply referred to as a “deep cleaning.”

Who Needs Scaling & Root Planing?

Scaling and root planing is performed on patients who show signs of gum disease, such as redness, swelling, or bleeding of the gums. Scaling is a common component of a professional dental cleaning regardless of the health of your gums, and root planing is added to this process for patients who show signs that their gums are less healthy.

How is Scaling & Root Planing Performed?

Your dentist will first use a local anesthetic, like Oraqix, to lessen discomfort through your procedure. Please note that if Oraqix is requested for procedures other than scaling & root planing, the cost is $10 per cartridge (we use about 1 cartridge per quad).

First, teeth scaling is performed, which means that plaque is scraped from your teeth and from any pockets that may have formed between your teeth and gums.

When this is complete, your dentist will perform the root planing. This is a process of smoothing the tooth roots using a scaling tool, which helps your gums reattach to the teeth properly.

Depending on the overall health of your gums, your dentist may then perform additional steps, including host modulation, which uses medication administered to the gums to help correct symptoms of periodontitis and reduce your chance of infection. They may also recommend a full disinfection of your mouth, using antimicrobial agents or oral antibiotics.

Schedule an Appointment

If you show signs of gum disease, schedule an appointment with Fennell, Yoxthimer, and Associates, DDS. Call our Cincinnati office at (513) 631-6600 or request an appointment online.

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