Deep Dental Cleaning vs. Regular Cleaning: Know the Signs You Need It

How are Physical and Oral Health Connected?

Your physical health can impact oral health and vice versa. Being careless towards your oral hygiene is like enabling harmful bacteria to thrive and cause infections that can enter the bloodstream. Through the bloodstream, these toxins can reach other organs, putting you at risk of heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory problems. Moreover, inflammation due to gum illnesses can also worsen your existing medical challenges, especially arthritis. They can impair your body's immunity, so you might find yourself falling sick more frequently. That is why maintaining good dental condition goes beyond brushing and flossing.

What is Regular Teeth Cleaning?

Regular teeth cleaning, also known as dental prophylaxis, is the secret to a healthier, fresher mouth, and it is more important than you might think. It is a pretty straightforward process in which your dentist or hygienist will remove plaque and tartar from your teeth using special tools. The dental professional targets the regions where your average floss and brush cannot reach. The process may involve scaling to eliminate hardened tartar above and below the gumline and teeth polishing to remove surface stains for shiny-looking teeth. It helps keep infections, cavities, and bad breath at bay. Regular teeth cleaning is usually recommended every six months, as it enhances oral hygiene, supports gum health, and contributes to overall well-being.

Deep Cleaning vs. Regular Teeth Cleaning

On the other hand, deep cleaning, or scaling and root planning, is a dental procedure designed to treat gum disease and prevent it from worsening. Unlike regular teeth cleaning, which focuses on removing plaque and tartar above the gumline, deep cleaning targets bacteria buildup below the gumline. The process has two steps. First is scaling, which removes plaque and tartar from pockets between the teeth and gums. Second is root planning, which smooths the tooth roots to help gums reattach. It reduces gum inflammation, promotes healing, and prevents further bone loss, protecting your teeth from loosening or falling out.

The key difference between regular vs. deep cleaning lies in their purpose and depth. Regular cleaning is more of a preventive measure meant to maintain oral health by removing surface plaque and stains. It is typically recommended twice a year for people without gum disease. On the flip side, deep cleaning is a therapeutic treatment used when gum disease is present, especially if gum pockets are deeper than 4 mm. We perform deep cleaning in Santa Rosa in multiple stages that require local anesthesia for comfort. While regular cleaning keeps your teeth and gums healthy, deep cleaning goes a step further by targeting the root cause of gum illness.

According to a study published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, dental illnesses affect over 3.5 billion individuals globally. It might be interesting to note that changes in hormones during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause can alter the periodontal health of multiple women.