Dental Deep Cleanings – Houston | 77090
STARTING AT $400
“Deep Cleanings” (Periodontal Therapy)
Periodontal disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. While most people are instinctively concerned about tooth decay, gum disease poses a more serious risk to their smile and overall health. A Deep cleaning from Dr. Bastani at North Houston Dentistry can slow down and help the prevention of this disease.
Periodontitis starts out as gingivitis, which is minor inflammation and redness along the gumlines. It’s caused by plaque biofilm accumulating at the gum margins and triggering an inflammatory response in the body. When it’s not removed by thorough brushing and flossing, these bacteria creep under the gums and accumulate further. Here, the body attacks the infection and consequently destroys the connective tissue between your gums, bone, and teeth.
Symptoms of Gum Disease
If you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms, let our dentist in North Houston know right away:
- Gums that bleed easily or heavily*
- Receding gumlines (“long teeth”)
- Chronic bad breath
- Problems with food getting stuck between teeth
- Tooth mobility
- Tooth loss
*If you smoke or use tobacco products, you may not experience the same symptoms of swelling or bleeding as a non-smoker. Regular screenings are essential in order to diagnose active periodontitis as traditional symptoms may be hidden.
An Oral-Systemic Health Connection
It’s been said that your mouth is the window to your body. When it comes to gum disease, we know this to be true. The inflammatory process that’s initiated by periodontal infections can cause a strain to your immune system, making it more difficult to manage other health conditions.
Studies consistently show that the more severe your gum disease is, the more risk there is of suffering from unmanaged:
- Stroke risk
- Heart attack
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Erectile dysfunction
- Pneumonia and respiratory disease
- Infertility (both men and women)
- Preeclampsia
Consequently, the same research shows that when you treat active oral disease, the body’s immunity improves and heals itself more quickly. People with diabetes see improvement in their blood glucose levels, couples conceive in less time, and the risk of oral biofilm accumulating within blood vessels goes down.
So how does our North Houston dentist treat active periodontal infection? By removing disease-causing bacteria through a series of scalings and root planings. Otherwise known as “deep cleanings.”
Scaling and Root Planing
During a deep cleaning, we normally focus on 1/4 to 1/2 of your mouth at a time. Depending on the severity of gum detachment and buildup, Dr. Bastani may recommend numbing your mouth or using a temporary anesthetizing gel to help you stay comfortable.
Your deep cleaning is a problem-focused treatment where we remove soft and calcified bacteria deep under the gums and across the roots of your teeth. When we’ve restored the “pocket” to a clean state, the gums have a potential for limited reattachment to the tooth surfaces, thus preventing additional bone loss.
About 1-2 weeks later, we’ll complete the same process on the other side of your mouth.
After periodontal scaling and root planing, you’ll need to stick to a maintenance protocol to prevent disease relapse.
If you suspect that you have gum disease, or periodontitis runs in your family, schedule a screening at North Houston Dentistry today.
