Scaling Root & Planing

Scaling and root planing is the first step in treating periodontal disease. In this procedure, your hygienist will use an instrument to clean away the calculus that has built up along the root surfaces. This is not a regular cleaning. Because the calculus has gone down below the gum line and onto the root, the hygienist will numb the gums before working on the affected area. The hygienist will usually scale and root plane 2 quadrants at one time. More visits are often needed to complete a full mouth scaling and root planing. Once the scaling and root planing have been performed, it is very important that the patient return regularly for maintenance treatments, otherwise, the calculus will return and the disease will continue to progress. This is because the deeper pockets around the affected teeth are at a higher risk of collecting debris and bacteria than the shallow pockets surrounding healthy teeth.