Scaling and Root Planing
A scaling and root planing treatment is similar to a regular dental cleaning, except it is solely focused on the gum line and roots of the teeth. For the scaling portion, a small ultrasonic cleaner will be used to remove any plaque deposits located around the roots of the teeth, which are the underlying cause of gum disease. We’ll then gently smooth out the rough surfaces of the roots in order to make it harder for plaque to gather on them in the future, lowering the chance of reinfection.
Antibiotic Therapy
There are tiny spaces between your teeth and gums called periodontal pockets, and this is where gum disease bacteria tend to gather and multiply the most. They are very difficult to clean with regular tools, but we can reach them with topical antibiotic therapy. A medicine called Atridox is applied just below the gum line, and over the course of a week, it slowly dissolves and seeps down to eliminate even the most well-hidden bacteria.
Soft Tissue Laser
Our soft tissue laser gives us the ability to quickly eliminate harmful bacteria from along the gum line while keeping a patient completely comfortable. The concentrated beam of light instantly vaporizes the bacteria, all the while leaving the surrounding healthy gum tissue untouched. The instrument emits almost no heat, sound, or vibration as well, which is why many patients don’t even need local anesthetic during this kind of procedure!