Scaling and Root Planing

The Hygienist has recommended scaling and root planing.

What the heck does that mean? I just came in for a cleaning... Sound familiar?
It happens every day.

When calculus accumulates under the gum, the hygienist will remove it with her professional equipment.

This is another subject that works better with pictures:

Figure 1 (above) is both healthy and diseased gums

When tartar and plaque collect under the gums, it causes an infection. The infection is like any other in the body. The way to heal it is to clean up the area and use antibiotics. If you cut yourself and it became infected, you would wash it and use some kind of antibiotic cream to help it heal. It is the same in the mouth, except that it requires special instruments and a professionally trained hygienist to clean under the gum and get the hard tartar off. At Cashion and Cody we have a specially made antibiotic that goes directly under the gum at the source of the infection.
We also have a new anesthetic that can be placed under the gum. No needles required. Dentistry is getting better.

If you have been told you need gum surgery, please check out the page on laser gum treatment. For more information, click here.