Treating Periodontal Pockets with Scaling and Root Planing

Your gums are integral to your dental health as they protect your teeth and provide adequate anchorage to ensure they stay strong and beautiful. With this in mind, you shouldn’t take lightly any symptom that shows your gums are compromised.

James M. Moran DDS proudly helps patients to stay orally healthy throughout their lives. We offer preventive health care but also help you stay ahead of issues like gingivitis and advanced periodontal disease. If gum disease has gotten the better of you in Fallbrook, California, please schedule an appointment with Dr. James Moran to learn about our periodontal treatment options.

Understanding periodontal pockets

Patients with mild gum disease often experience gum redness and swelling. Sometimes, they may spot blood stains when flossing and brushing their teeth. At this point, gum disease can be reversed by removing plaque — a clear film of bacteria that clings to your teeth — with at-home oral hygiene and professional dental cleaning.

Unfortunately, if plaque isn’t removed, it hardens into tartar, which contains harmful bacteria. These bacteria destroy your healthy gingival tissues, causing them to pull away from the teeth. When this happens, deep pockets form, which become breeding grounds for bad bacteria. If not treated, periodontal pockets may lead to tooth loss.

Treating periodontal pockets

Pocketing can’t be addressed by at-home oral care because your toothbrush and dental floss can’t access the periodontal pockets to eliminate bacteria. Periodontal pockets cause gum recession, which exposes your teeth to decay and sensitivity. Prompt treatment for gum pockets is vital before gum disease causes irreversible damage.

We diagnose periodontal pockets by measuring the distance between your teeth and the gums (sulcus). If your sulcus is deeper than 3mm, you may have gum disease, and the first treatment we recommend is deep dental cleaning. This procedure involves two steps:

• Periodontal scaling: This non-surgical treatment removes plaque and tartar from above and below the gum line using special tools
• Root planing: We smooth out your tooth roots to help gums to reattach to the teeth

Both procedures are done under anesthesia to minimize pain and discomfort. Besides, you may need more than one session to restore your gum health. However, if your gum disease doesn’t respond to deep cleaning, we recommend advanced periodontal care to restore the health of your gums and jawbone.

Gum disease treatment for a healthy mouth

Want to overcome gum disease in Fallbrook, CA? Please dial (760) 284-8477 to schedule an appointment with James M. Moran, DDS for effective periodontal treatments.

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