We as a dentist recommend a dental cleaning every 6 months for those who are in good
oral health. Then how about those who do not have a good oral health? As I
wrote in my previous blog, every tooth is different. That being said, every
patient in my office is treated differently. Some patients are treated with a
regular dental cleaning, localized deep cleaning, or full mouth deep cleaning. Also
after deep cleaning, we recommend regular dental cleanings every 2 months, 3 months,
4 months, or 6 months depending on severity of gum disease.
A tooth is most strong tissue in our body. Our teeth are much stronger than the bone;
however, if neglected, they run into problems. Usually, people under 18 do not
need a deep cleaning because their teeth are relatively new, bone is still
growing and such growth resists gum disease. This is uncommon among children
like osteoporosis and arthritis occurs in older population.
Scaling and root planing, former term for deep cleaning, is a treatment
planned for those who have periodontitis, gum disease, which cause bone defects
around teeth. There are stages of gum disease, and it can be active or dormant.
Once progression of gum disease has been noted, it is important to keep the disease
in a dormant stage because the disease
cannot be cured.
Gum disease is usually caused by continuous accumulation of plaque around
teeth, which later gets hardened. Calcified plaque is called calculus or
tartar. Once calculus forms around teeth, it becomes a habitat for bacteria that
harbors in our mouth. Researches indicate that there are billions of bacteria
living inside a calculus in a single tooth. Such habitat cause defects around
teeth and eventual loss of teeth.
In order to keep teeth healthy, it is necessary to remove calculus off teeth
soon and such process can be very painful without anesthesia. Calculus forms “deep”
below the gum line and requires local anesthesia to be sufficiently removed.
Eugene Cho, DMD
www.acecaredental.com
https://plus.google.com/105467293905938369683/#105467293905938369683/about
