Deep Teeth Cleaning - Long Island City, NY
Scaling and root planing fights gum disease
If you've been skipping your biannual dental check ups, you may be in for a surprise at your next dental check up. Gingivitis can progress into a more advanced stage called Periodontitis. What that means for you is that a regular cleaning may be insufficient, you may need a deep teeth cleaning instead.
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What we offer
Here at Jackson Ave Dental, our dentists provide a thorough deep cleaning of the teeth. What it is, is a regular cleaning but with more. A normal teeth cleaning will only clean above the gumline while a deep teeth cleaning will clean below it.
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The process of cleaning below the gumline is called scaling and root planing because the root surfaces get cleaned in addition to the enamel. Sometimes going deeper can be uncomfortable which is why local anesthesia is offered for this treatment. At the end, we may also prescribe an antibiotic mouth rinse to use.
Scaling and Root Planing
Plaque, tartar, and bacteria underneath the gumline may be left untouched with a regular dental cleaning. In order to remove the build up from below the gumline, you need to scale and root plane the tooth. The entire root surface needs to be cleaned.
Antibiotic Mouth Rinse
An antibacterial rinse called chlorhexidine is typically prescribed for gum inflammation. If you had a lot of bleeding during the procedure you may benefit from rinsing with this.
When a deep cleaning is needed
Usually if you get your dental check up every six months on schedule, a deep cleaning is unnecessary. However, if you haven't been to the dentist in a few years you will most likely have a lot of calculus build up. Proper dental care would require a deeper teeth cleaning.
Signs and symptoms of when it's needed:
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Gums that bleed easily from brushing and flossing.
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You spit out blood in the morning.
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Excessive calculus build up
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Black tartar
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Bad breath (perio breath) or malodor
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Teeth feel loose
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Teeth sensitivity
Benefit of the procedure
The benefit of getting the deep cleaning is that it treats gum disease and prevents it from progressing.
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When the gums are inflamed and start bleeding easily, you're at the first stage of gum disease called gingivitis. When left untreated, the inflammation spread to the bone and starts causing bone loss. This latter stage is called periodontitis which is inflammation of the periodontium (bone around the teeth).
How we can help
A deep teeth cleaning can be done in one visit with our long island city dentists. We do have many patients who tolerate it without local anesthesia.
However, if the procedure is too sensitive and you require numbing, we would recommend doing it in two appointments. It'll be more comfortable to have half the mouth numb instead of the entire mouth.
What to expect for the procedure: 45-60 mins
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Administer local anesthesia if it's too sensitive for you.
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Gross debridement with our ultrasonic scaler. It vibrates at over 30,000 RPM and shoots pressurized water to flush out all of the bacteria and build up.
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Hand scale the teeth for finer tactile sensation and remove any residual tartar off the root surfaces.
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Rinse out your mouth thoroughly.
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Polish teeth with prophy paste.
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Rinse out one last time.
What if I split it into two visits?
If you opt to complete the treatment in two separate visits, both appointments will be near identical. You would simply do half of the mouth one visit and the other half the next visit.​
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Our dentists and hygienists will usually start with the right half first and then do the left half next time.
Costs
Most commonly, dental PPO insurances will cover a deep cleaning at 80% which means you'll have a 20% copayment. The precise coverage and cost would depend on your specific plan because some can cover more while others cover less.
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Our dentists at Jackson Ave Dental do accept and are in network with most of the major PPO insurances. Visit our insurance page to learn more.
FAQs
Is a deep cleaning necessary?
If you are wondering if you can "get away" with just a regular cleaning, you'd be sorely mistaken because a normal teeth cleaning will only clean above the gum line, which means that all of the tartar underneath will be left as is. If the tartar remains on the root of your teeth untouched, the gums will stay permanently inflamed. They will continue to bleed whenever you brush and floss your teeth. This means that your gum disease has not been treated at all, which is not good because periodontitis which is the advanced stage of gingivitis affects more than just your gums. The inflammation spreads to the bone surrounding the teeth and actually causes bone inflammation. When the bone is inflamed, you start losing bone around your teeth which would make the teeth start to feel loose. Periodontitis is a gum AND bone disease. Yes, it is a serious condition that needs to be treated promptly. One of the symptoms of periodontitis is loose teeth so if you notice any teeth feeling wiggly, you should make an appointment with our one of our dentist in long island city as soon as possible so that you can stop the inflammation from spreading in your mouth. You could end up losing all of your teeth! Please be mindful that if you do get a teeth cleaning, your teeth may be sensitive afterwards.
Can periodontitis be cured?
Periodontitis can be treated and managed but it cannot be cured. The reason it cannot be cured is because it can always return even after being treated. There is also the fact that once your gums and bones get damaged from gum disease, the damage is permanent. You cannot naturally regrow your gums nor your bone. In order to manage periodontitis, you need to get a cleaning more often than individuals with just gingivitis. The recommended teeth cleaning frequency by our LIC dentist for someone with advanced gum disease is usually every 3-4 months instead of the usual 6 months. The importance of the 3-4 month interval is due to the fact that plaque and tartar will not start causing permanent damage until around the 5-6 month mark so you want to have all of the plaque removed prior to that point. If you are a victim suffering from periodontitis, you will have to be more vigilant and diligent with your oral hygiene routine. Periodontitis is a chronic disease similar to high blood pressure and diabetes where they will need to be permanently managed throughout the rest of your life! Our team of dentists at 1311 Jackson Ave Dental would be thrilled to be entrusted with your periodontal health so don't be shy and schedule below in real time.