At Oak Tree Dental, we make it our mission to always provide care that’s tailored to your unique needs and smile goals. That includes a customized dental hygiene treatment plan! Many people don’t realize there are many different types of dental cleanings. Which treatment you need depends on many factors, such as how inflamed your gums are and how long it’s been since you last had your teeth cleaned. Our gentle dental cleanings in Sebastopol, CA ensure your smile gets exactly what it needs as comfortably as possible.
This post explains the different types of dental cleanings, what to expect with each, and how our team can help you get the best long-term results with a custom hygiene plan.
Types of Dental Cleanings
Each type of dental cleaning has a slightly different purpose and involves a different approach. Our team is always happy to explain our recommendations so you can feel confident getting the care you need.
1. What is dental prophylaxis?
Dental prophylaxis (also called “prophy” for short) is a procedure to prevent gum disease and other oral health issues. It’s the type of dental cleaning you get when your gums are already healthy. We remove any hardened deposits above and below the gum line and polish the teeth to remove stains and help your smile shine.
In most cases, we recommend dental prophylaxis every six months. However, some people build up plaque, tartar, or stain faster than others and may prefer to get a cleaning every three or four months to keep their smile looking and feeling its best.
2. What is gingivitis therapy?
If your gums show signs of gingivitis like bleeding, swelling, and redness, you may need gingivitis therapy. This is a therapeutic dental cleaning intended to reverse active gingivitis and restore gum health.
This type of cleaning is recommended for moderately to severely inflamed gums without signs of attachment loss or bone loss. Paired with good home care habits, gingivitis therapy can help your gums return to a state of health, at which point you can go back to getting prophylaxis.
3. What is gross debridement?
Gross debridement is a procedure to remove heavy buildup that interferes with our ability to accurately evaluate your oral health. If there is too much plaque or tartar to see your teeth or gums clearly, we may need to remove the bulk of it before creating a treatment plan.
Gross debridement is always only a first step in a multi-phase dental cleaning. In many cases, we’ll allow your gums to heal for a short time before moving forward with the rest of your treatment plan. This can make the process more comfortable for you and more predictable for our team.
4. What is scaling and root planing?
Scaling and root planing (SRP) is a specialized gum disease treatment to remove deposits deep under the gums. It’s more commonly known as “deep cleaning,” and can be localized to specific areas or generalized to treat your full smile.
Because this procedure involves working further below the gum line than other types of cleanings, we typically recommend numbing the area first. If you need full-mouth SRP, we frequently recommend treating one side of the mouth at a time. This makes the process more comfortable for you and ensures that our team can be as thorough as possible.
We usually do not polish the teeth at these appointments, as abrasives from the polishing paste can get below the gums and cause irritation and prevent effective healing.
5. What is periodontal maintenance?
Periodontal maintenance is a specialized type of cleaning for people who:
- Have a history of periodontal disease
- Have bone loss that affects how your gums attach to the tooth roots
- Have recently undergone gum disease treatment
Generally, deep gum pockets are difficult or impossible to keep clean at home. When bacteria invade these areas, it can cause gum disease to come back even after successful treatment. Periodontal maintenance is a procedure to keep deeper pockets clean and free of inflammation.
In most cases, you’ll need periodontal maintenance cleanings every three to four months. Keeping up with this routine (and excellent home care) can allow the gums to reattach over time, making it possible to return to a regular prophylaxis schedule in some cases.
When Your Smile Needs Care Beyond the Basics
When you visit Oak Tree Dental for your first visit as a new patient, we’ll do whatever possible to provide a dental cleaning the same day or as soon after your initial appointment as possible. However, it’s important to understand that this is not always possible.
In some cases, this can happen due to limited availability. More frequently, it’s because your smile needs advanced care beyond a routine prophy.
If you have heavy buildup. deep gum pockets, or active gum disease, resetting your oral health may be a process that takes time. For example, a person who hasn’t had a dental cleaning in many years and has extremely heavy buildup may need a multi-step process that looks something like this:
- Initial visit: Gross debridement so we can check for cavities, gum disease, and other issues to accurately diagnose and plan your care.
- A few days or weeks later: Scaling and root planing for the right side of the mouth. In some cases, we may be able to provide other treatments like cavity fillings on that side the same day.
- A week or two later: Scaling and root planing for the left side of the mouth (and any dental treatments on that side if possible).
- Four to six weeks later: Re-evaluation to assess healing and do a full-mouth dental cleaning, including polishing if possible to remove stains and brighten your smile.
- Three months later: First periodontal maintenance appointment and setting you up for long-term success with a maintenance plan that works for your schedule.
We understand that it can be disappointing to find out that your smile needs more than a quick routine cleaning. Your long-term oral health is the most important goal in creating a treatment plan, but we’ll also do everything we can to ensure that your care fits your schedule and lifestyle as comfortably as possible.
Giving Your Smile a Fresh Start with Gentle Dental Cleanings in Sebastopol!
If it’s been a long time since your last dental cleaning, don’t worry. Many people trust us for gentle dental cleanings in Sebastopol, Santa Rosa, Barlow, and the surrounding Sonoma County areas.
If you’re concerned about getting back on track, talk to us! We’ll work with you to come up with a plan that works for you. No matter what type of dental cleaning you need, our team is here to provide it!