Root Planing or Deep Cleaning
Gum disease is caused by a buildup of plaque and bacteria, resulting in dental calculus, or dental tartar. Dental plaque and its cohorts will creep beneath the gum line, forming “pockets” between the teeth and gums. The larger these pockets grow, the worse gum disease gets. Only dentist can remove the dental calculus that has accumulated in the pockets of your gums. A non-surgical approach known as scaling is the first in a series of periodontal procedures used for gum disease treatment. During tooth scaling, an instrument called a scaler is used to remove dental plaque and dental calculus from beneath the gums.