Root Planing for Gum Disease

Root planing is an effective treatment to help halt gum disease and restore the health of your gums and teeth.

What is Gum Disease?

Gum disease affects the gums and bone that support your teeth. It begins with plaque, a soft and sticky substance made up mostly of bacteria that feeds on sugar from food and drink. When plaque hardens, it turns into tartar, which makes it harder to remove.

If plaque builds up, the bacteria can infect your gums, causing redness, puffiness, and bleeding while brushing. As gum disease progresses, it can lead to the formation of pockets around your teeth where plaque gathers, and bone supporting the tooth is slowly lost. This often happens without pain, which is why gum disease can go unnoticed until it's too late. If left untreated, it can result in tooth loss.

What is Root Planing/Curettage?

Root planing is a deep cleaning treatment that targets the areas below the gum line, which are difficult to reach with a toothbrush. This procedure helps to clean the pockets of your gums and removes plaque and tartar from the tooth roots, halting the progression of gum disease.

What Does the Dentist or Hygienist Do?

• Use hand scalers of different sizes to clean various parts of the teeth.
• Utilize electric scalers, which vibrate rapidly in a stream of water to remove plaque and tartar.
• After cleaning, a hand scaler is used to check if the roots are completely clean.
• Root planing may be done over several visits and usually requires local anesthesia.

After root planing, the gum should fit tighter around the tooth, and you will need to be especially diligent about cleaning the teeth above the gumline. Root planing may need to be repeated regularly to maintain healthy gums.

Points to Remember

• Root planing helps stop gum disease from progressing and prevents tooth loss.
• Effective home care, such as proper brushing and flossing, is just as important as the treatment performed by your dentist or hygienist.
• Avoid smoking and maintain a healthy, balanced diet to reduce the risk of gum disease.