Periodontal disease (also known as gum disease) is an infection of the gum and bone that hold the teeth in place.  If periodontal problems are not treated, they can eventually lead to tooth loss.  One of the sad parts about periodontal disease is that it is often painless and a person may not be aware that they have a problem until their gums and supporting bone are seriously damaged.  Teeth without good supportive gums and bones are like a house without a foundation – it won’t be standing very long!  The good news is that periodontal disease can often be treated in the early stages with a treatment called scaling and root planning.

To better understand how scaling and root planning helps we need to first understand what causes periodontal diseases.  Plaque, which is a film of bacteria we all have in our mouth, clings to the teeth and gums.  The bacteria in plaque cause irritation of the tissues that support your teeth.  This irritation can lead to chronic inflammation and infection that can destroy your gum and bone tissue – thus periodontal disease.

Plaque that is not completely removed can harden (calcify) into a rough, porous deposit called tartar, or calculus (not the math kind).  Tartar by itself does not seem to cause disease, but it typically makes it more difficult to remove plaque that can thrive on, in or near it.  The only way to limit the disease-causing effects of tartar is to have your teeth cleaned regularly at the dental office.  If someone has good oral hygiene at home and visits the dentist regularly, the potential of periodontal disease progressing is minimal.  But if left unchecked, periodontal disease is progressive and the condition will often worsen. 

If a dentist diagnoses periodontal disease in a person’s mouth, the condition needs to be treated to prevent further progression.  In the early stages, scaling and root planning is a method of treating the disease.  Scaling is used to remove the plaque and tartar beneath the gum line that a person is unable to remove by themselves.  A local anesthetic may be needed to reduce any discomfort.  The great news about the anesthetic is that often it doesn’t involve an injection (I know that saddens most of you).  Newer topical anesthetics provide profound anesthesia for procedures such as scaling and root planing. 

Using an instrument called a scaler or ultrasonic cleaner, plaque and calculus are carefully removed from the root surfaces below the gums.  Once the tartar is removed, the roots surfaces are then smoothed or planed.  This procedure allows the gum tissue to heal and makes it more difficult for plaque to accumulate along the root surfaces.  Depending on the extent of the disease, your dentist may recommend that one or more sections of the mouth be treated per visit thereby necessitating one or more visits.  A dentist may also administer or prescribe medications to help control infection and facilitate healing. 

Periodontal disease will not go away by itself.  Left untreated, surgery may be required to save the affected teeth.  Preventing and treating disease in the early stages is the best way to keep your healthy smile.