Skipping your dental cleanings is not a good idea, especially if you are slacking on your oral hygiene at home, too. The reason we clean our teeth daily is to remove harmful bacterial plaque. If plaque isn’t regularly removed it will harden into tartar which can only be removed via a professional cleaning with special tools. Left untreated, plaque will cause decay and gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. If you’ve been skipping your dental cleanings and skipping brushing at home, you may be developing gingivitis and not know it. If that’s the case, you will eventually need an ultrasonic scaling to get your oral health back on track.

What is an Ultrasonic Scaling?

Ultrasonic scaling is an easy and fast way to debride your teeth of harmful calculus (calcified plaque, or tartar) that causes gingivitis and can lead to periodontal disease and eventual tooth loss. An ultrasonic scaler is a handheld device that looks just like a manual scaler, but is mechanical and the tip performs 50,000 vibrations per second. It makes the removal of plaque and tartar from your teeth and under your gumline, faster, easier, virtually painless, and more efficient than a manual scaler. This process is called a “deep cleaning” or “scaling,” and is done to combat the serious complications related to periodontal disease, including gum recession, jawbone atrophy, and tooth loss.

After an Ultrasonic Scaling

You will be scheduled to revisit your dentist for an evaluation about a month after an ultrasonic scaling to monitor whether or not the gingivitis was eradicated. If your dentist gives you the all-clear, then you will simply begin taking better care of your teeth at home, and attending your biannual dental checkup and cleaning appointments so your teeth and gums remain healthy.