Deep Cleaning in Post Office Square, Boston, MA
We take pride in helping our patients achieve a beautiful smile, as well as helping protect their teeth and gums. Even if you have periodontal (gum) disease, we can take steps to reduce your risk of tooth loss, such as with a deep cleaning in Post Office Square.
How Gum Disease Begins
The main culprit in gum disease is bacteria. Certain bacteria irritate your delicate gum tissues, causing inflammation.
Bacteria live throughout the oral cavity, but they thrive in the plaque that builds up on your teeth. Therefore, if plaque is not removed regularly, the bacteria will continue irritating the gum tissue until you develop symptoms of gum disease, including:
- Sore gums
- Bright red or dark gum tissue
- Inflamed, puffy gums
- Bleeding when brushing and/or flossing
- Chronic bad breath
The gums will eventually begin to recede to move away from the bacteria-laden plaque. Eventually, the plaque will calcify into tartar (also called calculus), a substance that is impossible to remove without specialized dental instruments.
As the gums start to recede, the ligaments around the teeth will loosen, and in time, the bone around the teeth will start to recede, as well, resulting in loose teeth and eventual tooth loss.
Periodontal Disease – The Importance of Early Diagnosis
The earliest stage of gum disease – gingivitis – is reversible. With regular dental cleanings and optimal dental home care, you can reduce inflammation. Your gums will go back to their healthy pink color, and all puffiness and soreness will dissipate.
In some cases, we are not able to catch gum disease early, often because the patient has not been in for regular checkups. If this is the case for you, we have some good news. While gum disease that is progressed beyond gingivitis is not reversible, we can arrest it and potentially prevent tooth loss.
Treating Gum Disease with a Deep Cleaning in Post Office Square
To prevent tooth loss, we need to treat your gum disease as soon as possible. We do this with a deep dental cleaning.
A deep cleaning in Post Office Square is done in quadrants (upper left, lower left, upper right, and lower right). During your appointment, our dental hygienist will thoroughly clean your one to two quadrants.
We will start by numbing the gum tissue for optimal comfort. Then, our hygienist will use a combination of manual scalers (metal instruments that scrape the tartar off the teeth) and ultrasonic scales (uses water and ultrasonic vibration to remove the tartar) to clean your teeth.
During your cleaning, the hygienist will not only clean the tooth surfaces but will also clean well below the gumline. Removing all plaque and tartar from every surface of the tooth – roots included – is vital for the health of your teeth, gums, ligaments, and jawbone. Once we remove the irritating plaque/tartar, these tissues will be able to heal.
Does a Deep Dental Cleaning Hurt?
This is one of the first questions we get from our patients about this type of cleaning. Let us assure you – a deep dental cleaning does not hurt.
During your appointment, your teeth and gums are numb, so you will only feel a bit of pressure and the spray of water. Our hygienist will make sure you are comfortable throughout your procedure.
What about discomfort after your deep cleaning? You may experience some gum soreness, which is normal. Think of it this way:
Cleaning tartar off the root surfaces can be likened to removing a sliver from your finger. While the sliver is in your skin, it will continue to cause irritation and inflammation. It may even lead to an infection.
Once the sliver is removed, you will still experience some soreness and tenderness. However, after a few days, the inflammation will subside, and you will soon feel relief!
The same is true of a deep dental cleaning. You will experience some gum soreness, but eventually, the gum tissue will start to heal, and the soreness will abate. In the meantime, you can rinse twice a day with warm salt water and take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication to help lessen any discomfort.
We Will Do All We Can to Help You Avoid Tooth Loss
We understand how scary gum disease and tooth loss can seem – so much so that many patients avoid seeing the dentist. But missing dental appointments will just contribute to the problem. Visiting your Post Office Square dentist will help ensure we reduce your risk of tooth loss.
Contact us right away to schedule a consultation. We are happy to answer all your questions about gum disease and deep cleanings and will address your concerns to help put your mind at ease.
Are you worried you might have gum disease? Contact us right away at (617) 426-6011 to schedule a periodontal evaluation.
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