Type of Teeth Cleaning That Can Boost Gum Health

It is a well-known fact that better oral health helps in maintaining overall health. Hence, routine dental cleanings can help in preventing teeth from gathering plaque and tartar which can deteriorate the gum health. However, you may wonder that there are some types of dental cleanings that that actually aim at improving and maintaining gum health.

The gum disease

Before we talk about the kind of dental cleaning that prevents and treats gum disease, it would be worth mentioning what gum disease is. The gums are not made to cover the teeth to only improve your teeth’s look. The gums actually support vulnerable part of teeth and healthy bone which holds the teeth.

When hardened bacterial film, tartar, gets hold of the teeth near gums, it can result in the irritation in gums. As a result, the immune system fights back. This process of fighting back results in inflammation of gums. This inflammation can be regarded as gingivitis. This is the initial stage of gum disease that doesn’t really destroy anything rather than causing inflammation in the gum tissue. If the problem is left untreated, the infection can get worse and turn into periodontal disease, which is also called periodontitis.

Prophylaxis Cleaning

Prophylaxis cleaning refers to the process which involves cleaning of plaque, tartar and stains above the gum line. In other words, it is the simple cleaning you get every time during routine dental visits. This cleaning is often referred to as preventive dental cleaning.  The people who get this dental cleaning are the ones who have either healthy gums or gum infection in the earliest stages, i.e. gingivitis.

Dental debridement

Talking about dental debridement, it is not the process which can technically be called dental cleaning. It is rather a process which tends to make the teeth eligible to receive a bit deeper cleaning. Dental debridement is considered when dentist finds out that there is a layer of hardened plaque which doesn’t let him/her see beyond the gum line. So, one of the dentists may have to use special tools carefully to clear the tartar. Since this process is not included in the normal routine due to the level of difficulty involved, the dental cleaning involving debridement may take more time.

Scaling and root planing

When you need the deeper cleaning of your teeth below the gum line, dentist may decide to go with the process of scaling and root planing. The process can also be called deep cleaning, root planning or root debridement. All these processes belong to the category of necessary periodontal therapy.

This periodontal therapy involves deeper cleaning which is done to scrape away anything which irritates the gums. As the name suggests, this therapy involves cleaning well below the gum line.