Scaling is a routine procedure that helps patients who are suffering from excessive build-up of plaque and other gum diseases. Scaling goes beyond the general dental cleaning you get during your regular checkup. Even though a standard tooth cleaning procedure involves cleaning the exterior part of your teeth, scaling goes for deep cleaning.

What is Dental scaling?

Dental scaling removes tartar material and plaque from the tooth surface. Your dentist cleans and removes dental debris and remnants of plaque colonies in the gum lines in the tooth's gum line. Teeth scaling frees your teeth from the cavity and keep them healthy for a long time.

Teeth scaling can be completed in just one visit. It will take around 30 minutes to one hour to remove plaque from the surface in case of less plaque, but if there are more plaques, it will take about 2 hours, or maybe deep scaling is required for the whole process to complete. 

Why is it Important to Get your Dental Scaling done?

Plaque build-up on the tooth surface is very common, and we may experience it at some point. The proteins and bacteria together with saliva in your mouth form a slime layer that will always cover your teeth. Whenever you eat something, tiny food particles, sugars, and acids get stuck to this layer accumulating on the surface of your teeth called plaque. The bacteria in this plaque is one of the leading causes of gum disease and tooth decay.

Regular brushing, flossing, and standard teeth cleanings may help eliminate plaque build-up and prevent all severe problems from developing. 

The healthy gums are attached to your tooth around 1 – 3 millimeters below the gumline. Gum diseases lead to deep pockets, which quickly get filled with plaque and worsen your issues. It also causes other symptoms like bad breath, pain, and swelling. When your pockets become 4 millimeters or even more profound, your dentist may suggest undergoing dental scaling to get rid of the dental plaques forming below the gum line and do treatment of the disease.

After dental scaling, your teeth appear whiter, and you can smile confidently. Teeth scaling also assists in avoiding tooth decay.

Benefits of dental or teeth scaling.

• Helps remove plaque: Plaques are soft, sticky, creamy white materials on the tooth surface. It is composed of bacteria, their by-products, and other substances needed for survival. It can be thought of as an ecosystem consisting of microbes. With regular brushing and flossing, you can get rid of it, but if you leave it untreated, it starts releasing toxins and causing gum irritation. Plaque also generates an acid that causes tooth decay. The areas that are very hard to reach in your mouth are prone to tartar build-up. A dentist recommends dental scaling to people as they cannot get rid of all plaque. With teeth scaling, removing all plaques that can be missed easily is easy.
• Helps remove stain: Teeth staining occurs because of what we eat throughout the day. These foods include red wine, tobacco, coffee, and many others. Teeth staining is also an aesthetic issue. Some teeth whitening products reduce the stain but cannot do a job as good as dental scaling. If you want your teeth in their best condition, you must do dental scaling at least once every six months. It ensures you regain your usual smile once you are done with the procedure.
• Protect your gum and teeth: Many people have some or the other form of gum disease, and in some cases, they are unaware of it. If you leave gum disease untreated, it becomes very severe and sometimes leads to tooth loss. Dental scaling helps save your teeth even if your gum disease is advanced.
• Helps in preventing tooth decay: Dental scaling, which removes plaque, helps reduce the risk of tooth decay and prohibits bone destruction around your teeth.

As you can see, there are several benefits of dental scaling or teeth scaling. If you think you must undergo scaling, then it's time to consult a good dentist and find out what they recommend.

What can you expect after dental scaling?

After a dental scaling procedure, your mouth will feel sore and sensitive. You must exercise regularly, brushing and flossing post scaling sessions to stop plaque build-up again. Some patients even experience bleeding and swelling after the procedure, for which the dentist might recommend desensitizing toothpaste to ease the discomfort. You might also get a mouthwash that will help keep your gums clean.

Conclusion

Dental scaling is an overall process, you are not alone in what your dentist suggests.  MyDentalPlan gives you access to many dentists with whom you can schedule an appointment to fight unseen plaque and maintain a clean mouth.

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About the Author:

Suprithi Choudhary, M.Pharm (Pharmacology) Medical Content writer

Suprithi is a Pharma Professional working as a medical content writer and previously worked as a Research Scientist and Senior Research Analyst

Education

• C.M Academy
• Attended the Panjab University- Chandigarh, Pharma post-graduate in Pharmacology

Special thanks to Dr Deepak Kulkarni, a dental surgeon with over 23 years of experience who proofread this blog. He graduated from the H.K.E's Dental College, Gulbarga, and has certifications in ACHS International Accreditation Education Plan; Advanced Rotary Endodontic - Restorative Continuum; and Leadership, Team Building and Customer Service