Dental Scaling
Thorough Cleansing for Teeth and Gums

Dental scaling are two common cleaning procedures for the teeth and gums. This is considered as a form of periodontal therapy.

This is because this form of cleaning is very thorough and cleans, not just the tooth, but also along the gum line where a lot of food debris and other residue tend to get stuck.

Usually, these food debris and unwanted elements accumulate and cause plaque invasion in your teeth and gums. Aside from the risk of tooth decay, you also face the risk of gum disease, when the gum gets infected due to the unwanted elements that have set up shop near it.

Scaling should be done from time to time, preferably every six months.

This is a cleansing process that goes beyond the usual dental cleaning. It can help protect from periodontal disease, which usually calls for surgery as a form of treatment. If you do not want to pay surgical costs for the treatment of gum disease, which will fall under the specialization periodontics, then take time and money to get scaling done.

How Tooth Scaling Goes

• Preparation Stage
• Tooth Scaling Process
• Root Planing Followup Procedure

1. Preparation Stage

Dental scaling is an easy cleaning procedure that does not involve pain and can be completed within a single visit to your dentist.

It does require a preliminary evaluation process though, wherein the dentist will give you a checkup or even an x-ray to get a full picture of what’s going on with your teeth and gums.

This will be the dentist’s guide as to which teeth are affected and what should be done.

During procedure day, the dentist’s first move is to apply anesthetics in the portion of the mouth where the scaling will be done. This can be quite intimidating, although the truth is that scaling is a non-invasive procedure.

The reason why anesthetics is necessary is that, depending on the problem or how deep the bacteria and plaque has penetrated, the procedure might bring mild to moderate pain since the upper area under the gums will be thoroughly checked.

Once the anesthetics have set in, the dentist can finally begin the procedure.

2. Tooth Scaling Process

The treatment will go for as long as necessary until all the plaque and tartar that are found on the tooth and along the gum lines are accounted for. The dentist will painstakingly remove them all by hand using the dental scaling instrument.

The more commonly used type of scaling instrument is the handheld one, although there are also ultrasonic ones. Dentists prefer the handheld ones better because they can control the movement and specifically reach the target areas.

You can tell when a tooth scaling procedure was done if you see valleys between each tooth with depths ranging between 1 mm and 3 mm.

3. Root Planing Followup Procedure

Usually, tooth scaling is followed by root planing.

Root planing also aims to deep clean the teeth and free them from harmful microorganisms, toxins, cementum, dentin, and calculus. In most cases, tooth scaling already does the cleaning job. However, root planing often becomes necessary because scaling usually leaves an abrasive, slightly rough surface. If left alone, the rough surface can encourage new dirt buildup again. Root planing smoothens out the teeth after a scaling procedure to make it hard to dirt and plaque to build up again.

Discount Dental Plans for Scaling and Root Planing

If you wish to avail of dental insurance or discounts on your scaling and root planing procedures, check out some of the coverage or discount plans that cover this specific procedure.

You’ll also do well by considering discount dental plans more, provided that they offer straightforward discounts and do not require deductibles and monthly premiums.

One discount dental plan that offers discounts for perio scaling and root planing is Affordable Family Health Services, which promises to help you save hundreds of dollars on procedures including scaling and root planing.

Under the Affordable Family Health Services plan, dental scaling will cost you only $100 per quadrant when the original price is actually $266. Another popular discount dental plan, American Dental Plan, offers the folks of Arizona discounts worth hundreds of dollars on most dental care procedures including polishing and scaling.

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