6 Aftercare Tips After Dental Scaling And Root Planing

Dental scaling and root planing is a procedure recommended for patients suffering from gum disease. It is similarly done to a regular dental cleaning. However, the dentist goes beyond the gums during gum disease treatment. They will need to reach deeper into the pockets using a dental scaler to remove the deposits successfully. Once the gum pockets are cleaned and disinfected, the gums will grip them back to the teeth once they heal.  

Why are dental scaling and root planing necessary?

Every day your mouth develops a film of sticky substance due to bacteria. Whenever you eat, this sticky film builds up more, and when you don’t clean your teeth right away, they form plaque. As plaque gets untreated, the bacteria in it will cause infection to your gums and eventually give you gingivitis. 

With a gum disease as such, your gums will lose their tight grip on the teeth. It creates gum pockets huge enough for plaque to spread in. Since solidified plaque is hard to remove with regular teeth brushing, you will need a dentist to help you. 

As soon as possible, seek your dentist’s expertise to reverse the causes of gum disease, or it may lead to the loss of your tooth and bones. One of your best options is to undergo a dental scaling and root planing treatment right away. 

In-depth dental cleaning aftercare tips

As you may have experienced, periodontal disease treatment involves two steps: cleaning and polishing your teeth, significantly beyond the gum lines. The dentist uses tools like a dental scaler for teeth scaling and curettes to complete the task. 

Due to the stubbornness of the plaque, the periodontal treatment will need you to receive anesthesia. After the gum inflammation treatment, you will feel slight pain and swelling and occasional bleeding from the affected areas. These are typical effects from the procedure, and you can do the following to manage them: 

1. Use desensitizing toothpaste. 

To ease or manage the discomfort, your dentist will instruct you to use a desensitizing toothpaste instead of your regular one. 

2. Prescription mouth rinse

After the gums are disinfected, you need to make sure it is kept clean to avoid reinfection. Using a prescription mouth rinse can help you with this.

3. Proper flossing

Your dentist will teach you how to floss with teeth fresh from deep cleaning teeth treatment properly. Flossing will ensure that plaque will never form on your teeth again.

4. Use soft-bristled brush

Since your gums are still sore, it’s best to brush your teeth using a toothbrush with soft bristles. As you brush, do it with gentle motions and smooth strokes.

5. Eat a balanced diet

Watch what you eat at this time. Hard, sticky foods will irritate the gums and will be more painful for you. 

6. Avoid using tobacco

Tobacco will delay the recovery time for your teeth and gums. You need to stop smoking once you get dental scaling and root planing treatment.

Your oral health should be a priority to keep your general health optimal. Let your Thornhill dentist guide you to a spotless and disease-free smile.