Patient Education
Scaling and Root Planing
Advanced gum disease may require the dentist to clean below the gum line to remove stubborn, crusty deposits called tartar or calculus.
For some patients, a local anesthetic is administered to the affected area. Then, a small scaling instrument and/or ultrasonic cleaning device are used to remove the deposits.
After cleaning, the root may need to be smoothed, or planed, to restore it as much as possible to its original shape. Planing also allows your gum tissue to better attach itself and heal properly.
