Holmdel NJ Periodontist

Bleeding gums and sensitive teeth can be worrisome. Because of this, many people would often find themselves afraid of what their dentist might say.

However, this is something that you should not stress over.  Bleeding gums and sensitive teeth might be symptoms of gum disease. However, you don’t have to worry about getting a dental surgery right there and then. There is one non-surgical treatment for gum disease that most periodontists would often recommend, and that is root planing and scaling.

What is Root Planing and Scaling

These procedures are more on basic dental cleaning.  Root Planing helps smoothen the tooth root and helps the gums reattach towards the tooth. The dentist would usually be sanding your teeth to remove the hard spots which bacteria would often grow on.  Scaling is the procedure that removes the plaque building up along the gum lines using manual scraping instruments or ultrasonic tools.

Why is it important?

The plaque is always present in your teeth. If not cleaned properly, it will cause an inflammation of your gums. This will lead to gums moving away from your teeth, creating pockets.  The plaque would often form inside the pockets.  It will lead to periodontal diseases and tooth & bone loss.

 Methods

There are two different kinds of methods used in dental cleaning.

·         Mechanical Procedure

          In this method, the dentist manually scrapes the debris and plaque.

·         Ultrasonic Procedure

           In this procedure, instead of scraping and digging, the dentist uses a wand-like machine that

           moves from side to side to removed plaque and bacteria.

Most dentists would opt to mix the mechanical and ultrasonic procedure to ensure that they have thoroughly cleaned the teeth and gum lines.

If you wish to have plaque-free teeth, it is best that you consider having these procedures. These will not only clean your gums but also keep you away from periodontal diseases.