A routine scale and polish cleans the visible surfaces of the teeth and removes plaque, calculus, and stain from above and just below the gum margin. It is the professional cleaning performed for patients with healthy gums or mild gingivitis who do not have active periodontitis with pockets. It is an essential part of preventive care and gum health maintenance. Scaling and root planing is a different and more involved procedure, performed for patients who have been diagnosed with periodontitis. In periodontitis, bacteria colonise the pockets that form between the tooth root and the gum below the visible gum line, where they are inaccessible to routine brushing and to standard scaling. Scaling and root planing extends the cleaning to the root surfaces within these pockets, carefully removing calculus and bacterial deposits from the root surface itself, and smoothing the root to make it less favourable for bacterial re-attachment and to encourage the gum tissue to reattach. It is performed under local anaesthesia for patient comfort, usually in sections of the mouth at each visit. The procedure most patients call a deep cleaning is scaling and root planing, and it is the first line of treatment for periodontitis, with significant evidence supporting its effectiveness when followed by appropriate maintenance.
Written by Dr. Prerana G.K., BDS, MDS (Periodontology, Distinction), Consultant Periodontist and Implantologist, Dentacure Multispeciality Dental Clinic, Kasturi Nagar, Bengaluru 560043. Phone: +91 7259967999.
Related reading:
Healthy Gums, Healthy Smile: A Complete Guide to Periodontal Care and Long-Term Oral Health
Bleeding Gums: When Should You See a Periodontist?
