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You may know that professional dental cleanings are an important part of maintaining your oral health. But did you know there are several different types of dental cleanings? Our team at Dental Specialty Associates of Arizona believes in providing care that’s tailored to your unique needs, and dental cleanings are no exception.
This post explains the different types of dental cleanings, how your dentist decides what type of cleaning you need, and what to expect from each type of dental cleaning.
What Are the Types of Dental Cleanings?
All dental cleanings have the same general goal: removing buildup from your teeth to keep them looking and feeling their best. However, each type of dental cleaning approaches this goal in a slightly different way.
There are five types of dental cleanings. Let’s go through them one by one.
1. Prophylaxis: Regular Dental Cleanings for Healthy Gums
Prophylaxis is a dental cleaning meant to prevent gum disease before it starts and maintain great oral health for people who already have healthy gums. This is the type of cleaning that’s recommended every six months even if you don’t have any concerns.
When we recommend it: Your routine X-rays show healthy bone levels and your gum pockets measure between 1-3mm with little to no bleeding.
What it involves: Removing light plaque, tartar, and stains above or just slightly below the gumline.
How long does a regular dental cleaning take? A routine dental cleaning usually takes between 45 minutes to an hour including routine tests like checkup X-rays or gum measurements and a checkup from the dentist. We can usually fit in (and recommend) a fluoride treatment at the end, too!
2. Scaling in the Presence of Inflammation: Gingivitis Treatment
If your gums are inflamed but your jawbone is still healthy, you may need a dental cleaning that’s designed to address gingivitis. According to dental insurance coding, this is called scaling in the presence of inflammation. The good news is that once your gums are healthy again, you can go back to getting regular prophylaxis.
When we recommend it: Your gums are moderately or severely inflamed (pockets measuring 4-5mm with bleeding throughout), but your X-rays show minimal or no bone loss. This can happen after orthodontic treatment or because of poor home care habits or certain medical issues.
What it involves: Thoroughly cleaning plaque and tartar above and below the gum line to reverse gingivitis and allow the gums to heal.
How long does gingivitis treatment take? Scaling in the presence of inflammation is usually performed in the same appointment time as a routine prophylaxis. However, if there are areas with heavier deposits or that need extra attention, we may need a little extra time.
3. Gross Debridement: Removing the Big Chunks
If it’s been a very long time since your last cleaning or you tend to build up very heavy deposit, there might be too much tartar to get a clear view of your teeth and gums in order to create a treatment plan that’s appropriate for your needs.
In this case, we may recommend gross debridement. This is not a complete dental cleaning. Instead, it’s a first step to remove large tartar deposits and allow our team to accurately evaluate your oral health and create an appropriate plan.
When we recommend it: There is too much hard buildup (calcified plaque, called calculus or tartar) to see your teeth and gums clearly.
What it involves: Removing large deposits above the gums to get a clear look at the structures of your mouth. It does not involve working below the gums, completely cleaning the teeth, or removing stains.
How long does gross debridement take? The gross debridement itself may take anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours depending on how extensive the deposit is and how difficult it is to remove. However, you’ll also need follow-up dental cleanings to complete your gum disease treatment plan.
4. Scaling and Root Planing: Deep Dental Cleaning
Scaling and root planing is a procedure to completely clean plaque and tartar above and below the gum line in areas with deep periodontal pockets. This is a dental cleaning to treat moderate to advanced gum disease that has caused bone loss.
If you only have bone loss in specific areas, we may recommend localized scaling and root planing to treat those specific teeth. However, many people need dental deep cleaning for the whole mouth.
When we recommend it: Scaling and root planing is appropriate for removing buildup from gum pockets that measure 5mm or greater due to bone loss in the socket surrounding a tooth. These pockets are too deep to clean effectively with a toothbrush and floss and create an environment for very harmful bacteria.
What it involves: Numbing the area so that we can comfortably and thoroughly remove deposits deep below the gumline. If you need full-mouth scaling and root planing, we may recommend treating one half of your mouth at a time. After allowing your gums to heal for a few weeks, we’ll recheck and perform a full cleaning that includes polishing the teeth.
How long does dental deep cleaning take? It depends on how many teeth are involved as well as the amount, location, and density of the deposits. If you need full-mouth scaling and root planing, the procedure will likely be split into three visits of about an hour or two each.
5. Periodontal Maintenance
Gum disease can damage the bone socket that holds the root of a tooth in place. Removing bacteria and tartar from the pocket can allow the gums to reattach to the tooth root, but it takes time. It also doesn’t cause the bone to return to its original shape and size.
This means you may still have deep gum pockets, even after the most effective gum disease treatment. Periodontal maintenance is a dental cleaning to keep your gums as healthy as possible after you’ve been treated for moderate to severe periodontitis.
When we recommend it: After you’ve completed scaling and root planing or if you have a history of gum disease, especially if you have pockets that still measure over 4mm but your condition is stable.
What it involves: Periodontal maintenance is the “routine” dental cleaning for people with a history of gum disease. If you stick to the recommended schedule, which usually involves getting your teeth cleaned every three to four months, and keep up with excellent home care habits, it may be possible to return to prophylaxis cleanings every six months eventually.
How long does a periodontal maintenance dental cleaning take? Periodontal maintenance is usually performed in about an hour. However, if you don’t follow your dentist’s or hygienist’s instructions, you may develop hard deposits below the gums again, which may lead to longer appointments or the need for another dental deep cleaning later.
Healthy Gums Are Here!
Keeping your gums healthy takes ongoing effort. If it’s been a while since you had a dental cleaning or you’ve gone through a time when it was hard to brush and floss as much as you should, you may feel like your gums are a lost cause. Don’t give up!
At Dental Specialty Associates of Arizona, we’re dedicated to helping you enjoy the healthiest possible smile with personalized care. That includes providing everything from regular dental cleanings to dental deep cleaning in Phoenix and Gilbert! With sedation dentistry to keep you comfortable and flexible financing to make it affordable, your healthiest smile is waiting for you. Get in touch to schedule your consultation today!
