Scaling

Scaling is a dental treatment performed by a dental hygienist using special instruments. It involves removing hard and soft deposits from above and below the gum line. Sometimes a dental freezing can be given if a patient finds the procedure to be uncomfortable. Scaling is an important part of maintaining your oral health because it keeps the bone around your teeth healthy and provides good support keeping them firmly in place.

Aside from keeping up with our regular recall and scaling appointments that may be 6 to 12 months apart…there are times that scaling only or more frequent scaling may be recommended by your Dentist or Dental Hygienist.

• For patients that have just had braces put on their teeth and are having difficulty with cleaning them well, will benefit from coming into see their Dental Hygienist for frequent scaling (debridement) every 3 to 4.5 months. These patients may be kids, teens or adults.
• Additionally, patients that are prone to build up heavy amounts of plaque and tartar, are also encouraged to come in for more frequent scalings. Their entire periodontium will be healthier when scaling is done more frequently.
• Some patients may be battling periodontal disease – a condition that deteriorates the gums and bone that support or house their healthy teeth. By scaling the plaque, tartar and food debris off their teeth, we can reduce the inflammation that these culprits cause. These scalings also allow closer observation of the patients periodontium, thus alerting us to the possible need for referrals to a specialists, like a Periodontist.
• Patients with immune suppressed conditions like diabetes cannot fight infections the same as a healthy individual, so they too would benefit from more frequent scalings, to ensure good overall health!
• Other patients may have poor or no dexterity due to compromised medical and/or physical conditions. Whether these limitations make it difficult for the patient to manage his or her own oral home care or difficult for those who provide this care for loved ones – the result is usually poorer removal of oral debris. It is extremely critical that these patients are scheduled for more frequent scalings and observation, to insure better oral health and subsequently better overall health!