Procedures - Preventative
Hygiene
Your oral health and hygiene are very important to us and should be important to you too. Through professional scaling appointments with our hygienists and home care by you, we can help to control the level of plaque, tartar and decay that occurs on and around your teeth.
Debridement, or scaling, is the removal of calculus (tartar) from your teeth with the aid of ultrasonic and hand instruments. Calculus is what plaque becomes when it has hardened on your teeth. The responsibility of the patient is to brush and floss daily to remove the plaque before it becomes tartar.
After the tartar has been removed, the teeth will be polished and fluoride may be given. Fluoride is given to help reduce chances of decay.
The pictures show an example of what your hygiene appointment can do for you. This patient required a three-session periodontal treatment. The second photo was taken following the first session.
For patients who have severe periodontitis (gum disease) multiple sessions of scaling is a must. Often times, local anaesthetic is administered for the patient's comfort. Partial or superficial "cleaning" will further bury the calculus underneath the gums, resulting in catastrophic destruction of bone in the long run. Patients do not usually see the adverse effect until the end stage of gum disease (i.e. tooth loss)