What is Scaling and Root Planing?

The symptoms of gum disease can appear after a short time or progressively get worse over a long period. The sooner you get treatment for it, the better the chance that those symptoms can be reversed. One of the first treatments your dentist will suggest is called scaling and root planing. Find out how this simple dental therapy, offered at Randall Oaks Dental in Carpentersville, IL, can stop the progression of gum disease in its tracks.

Gum Disease and Periodontitis
Gum disease has become a significant public health issue for many Americans. Nearly half of all adult Americans have some form of gum disease according to the CDC. The most advanced form of gum disease is periodontitis, which is the stage when bad bacteria is actively attacking bone tissue and causing teeth to loosen. You can avoid getting to that stage by going to your dentist for a scaling and root planing appointment.

Scaling and Root Planing
At a standard professional cleaning, your Carpentersville dentist will use standard tools and brushes to clean the exposed tooth surfaces and between the teeth. At a scaling and root planing appointment, debriding tools (including an ultrasonic scaler) are used to scale deeper around the gum line to release and remove hardened bacteria-filled plaque. Root planing makes the surface of each tooth very smooth so that bacteria can't attach as easily. Depending on your level of sensitivity and anxiety, you may receive a sedation treatment before this appointment to ensure your comfort. After scaling and root planing, the gum tissue can heal and provide proper support to the teeth again.

Additional Measures
Scaling and root planing is usually the first treatment used to reverse symptoms of gum disease. Additional gum disease treatments include:

- Antibiotic medication or rinses to keep bad bacteria at bay.
- Gum grafting and crown lengthening.
- Periodontal flap surgery and bone grafting (for advanced cases that don’t respond to less invasive treatments).
- Laser bacterial reduction
- Laser assisted periodontal therapy

Get Rid of Gum Disease in the Earliest Stage
There's a chance that you will see a marked improvement in your gum disease symptoms after a scaling and root planing treatment at Randall Oaks Dental in Carpentersville, IL. Call (224) 484-8221 today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Dan Adamo.