Most people should visit the dentist every six months for a professional cleaning and oral exam. If the dentist or oral hygienist finds that your teeth have a lot of tartar or your gums are inflamed, a deep dental cleaning may be recommended to you. This type of cleaning focuses on the roots of your teeth and the gum tissue that surrounds them.

What Does a Deep Dental Cleaning Consist of?

Many people wonder, “What does a deep dental cleaning consist of?” The answer to this is that it involves using small tools to clean along the roots of each tooth. The tools are designed to remove tartar from underneath your gum tissue. The dental hygienist will also use tools to smooth the cementum, which is the exterior part of the tooth’s roots. The process takes about 45 minutes for each quadrant of your mouth.

What Happens During a Deep Dental Cleaning?

It is important to know what happens during a deep dental cleaning so that you will feel relaxed when you come in for your appointment. You will sit in the dental treatment chair as usual. The hygienist will work on one quadrant of your mouth at a time. If there is a great deal of tartar to remove or if your cementum is quite rough, you may need to schedule separate appointments for each quadrant of your mouth. The hygienist will explain what he or she is doing throughout the entire process. From time to time, the hygienist may rinse your mouth with water in order to wash out bits of debris.

How Painful Is a Dental Deep Cleaning?

Many people are worried about how painful is a dental deep cleaning, and this is often a result of a lack of information. If your gums are already swollen and prone to bleeding, you may feel tenderness as the hygienist works. Patients who are especially sensitive may be able to request that their gum tissue be numbed for the procedure. This will eliminate any pain while the cleaning takes place.

Who Needs Dental Deep Cleaning?

When your routine dental hygiene at home and regular checkups at the dentist are not keeping your gum tissue healthy enough, this is who needs dental deep cleaning. The dentist may also take periodic measurements of periodontal pockets around your teeth. If the pockets measure more than 3 millimeters deep, you may need the deep cleaning. Some people will need to have a deep cleaning done every one to two years for oral health. This is because gum disease can become chronic.

What Can I Eat After a Dental Deep Cleaning?

Your mouth may feel numb for another two to four hours after a deep cleaning with a local anesthetic for pain relief. You might have some tenderness in your gum tissue for another day or two after your deep cleaning session. What can I eat after a dental deep cleaning includes soft and nutritious options such as yogurt, mashed potatoes, applesauce and bananas.