Scaling and root planing
As gum disease develops, teeth and their roots become covered with thick deposits of tartar. You can imagine it as a scale that builds up in your kettle. It can be very adherent and rough. It harbours bacteria and causes continued gum inflammation. Meticulous removal of all hard and soft deposits as well as infected outer layer of root must be done before any other intervention. Scaling and root planing makes roots clean and smooth again and allows gum to settle. It can be a lengthy job as it takes between 10-15 minutes to root plane one tooth. But don’t worry. It is done with anaesthetic and it rarely needs to be repeated.
Red and swollen gums easily bleed when touched
It is very important that plaque and tartar is removed and teeth are made smooth again
It is often necessary to make the gums numb so that tartar is removed from exposed roots
If bone has dissolved already, specially developed regenerative gel (Emdogain®) can be applied around diseased tooth which helps healing
With appropriate treatment, it is possible to re-establish gum health
