Dental health is an important part of your general health. Whatever your age, you can and should have healthy teeth. Correct dental care can help you keep your teeth healthy for a lifetime.
What is a plaque?
Dental plaque is a soft, sticky, colorless blanket of bacteria and food particles that constantly forms on the teeth. The bacteria colonize and multiply rapidly in this aggregate and initiate infection in the gums, often resulting in tender, bleeding gums. If dental plaque is not removed within 10-14 hours by brushing, it mineralizes into calculus, or tartar. Calculus once formed cannot be removed by brushing and has to be removed by scaling.
What is scaling?
Scaling is one such procedure that keeps your gums healthy and firm. It is a procedure used to remove infected deposits like plaque, calculus, and stains from the tooth surfaces.
Such deposits, if not removed by scaling, cause infection and loosening of the gums, ultimately leading to periodontal disease and tooth loss. Scaling is a safe and routine procedure and does not damage the tooth surface in any way. It is done by your dental hygienist.
Why is scaling done?
Regular tooth cleaning by the hygienist is important to remove calculus or tartar that may develop even with careful brushing and flossing. Professional cleaning includes scaling and polishing.
Scaling is a common non-surgical treatment for the removal of infected deposits—tartar or calculus—from the tooth surface. These deposits, if not removed, lead to periodontal disease. In periodontal disease, the pocket between the tooth and gum begins to deepen.
This provides a perfect environment for bacteria to grow. The bacteria begin to multiply rapidly and infect more of the gum and start dissolving the bone supporting the tooth.
This leaves the tooth progressively loose. The treatment now becomes more extensive and complicated in order to save the tooth. Surgery of the gums is required in order to make the tissues around the tooth healthy.
How frequently should scaling be done?
Plaque formation on the teeth is a nonstop process. If plaque is not removed by brushing, it starts mineralizing into tartar within 10-14 hours. Such persons may require periodic scaling, every 6 months or so.
The golden rule is to have a routine dental checkup every 6 months. Your dentist will be able to advise you whether you need scaling or not. He will also advise you on the correct home care for healthy teeth.
It must be emphasized again that scaling of teeth does not weaken them but prevents gum diseases, which bring about bleeding gums and, if not checked, lead to more serious and extensive gum problems.
What is the outcome of scaling?
Good oral hygiene prevents and is vital to the treatment of many of the dental and oral disorders. Good oral hygiene results in a healthy mouth. Moreover, the mouth is the gateway to the whole body. A healthy mouth ensures a healthy body to a great extent.
Understanding Periodontal Disease and Its Serious Consequences
Periodontal disease—often called gum disease—is one of the most common dental conditions affecting adults, yet many people don’t realize just how destructive it can be. What begins as mild inflammation of the gums can quickly progress into a chronic infection that damages the tissue and bone supporting your teeth. Without treatment, periodontal disease can lead to tooth loss and contribute to several broader health problems.
What Is Periodontal Disease?
Periodontal disease is a bacterial infection that affects the gums and the bone around the teeth. It usually starts as gingivitis, a reversible inflammation caused by plaque buildup. When plaque isn’t removed through daily brushing, flossing, and regular dental cleanings, it hardens into tartar. Tartar harbors harmful bacteria that irritate the gum tissue. Once the infection spreads below the gumline, gingivitis advances into periodontal disease.
How Periodontal Disease Harms Your Oral Health
Periodontal disease is progressive, meaning the damage gets worse over time if untreated. Some of the most significant negative aspects of the disease include
1. Gum Tissue Destruction
As the infection worsens, the gums begin to pull away from the teeth, forming pockets that trap even more bacteria. Healthy, firm gum tissue becomes swollen, tender, and eventually recedes. Gum recession makes teeth appear longer and exposes sensitive root surfaces.
2. Bone Loss Around the Teeth
One of the most serious consequences of periodontal disease is the irreversible loss of the jawbone that holds teeth in place. When harmful bacteria invade deeper structures, the body responds with inflammation that breaks down bone. Over time, teeth loosen and may even fall out.
3. Chronic Bad Breath and Infection
Persistent infection produces unpleasant odors and tastes. Patients with periodontal disease often find that bad breath does not improve even with good brushing and mouthwash because the smell originates from deep gum pockets.
4. Increased Tooth Sensitivity
Receding gums and exposed roots can make teeth extremely sensitive to hot, cold, and sweets. This sensitivity often worsens as the disease progresses.
5. Shifting and Spacing Between Teeth
As gums and bone are lost, teeth become unstable. They may drift, rotate, or develop new spaces, affecting your bite and appearance.
6. Higher Risk of Systemic Health Issues
Research continues to show that periodontal disease is linked to several health conditions, including:
- Heart disease
- Diabetes complications
- Respiratory infections
- Stroke
- Adverse pregnancy outcomes
The inflammation caused by gum disease can enter the bloodstream and contribute to broader health problems.
Early Treatment Makes a Difference
The good news is that periodontal disease is treatable—especially when caught early. Regular dental exams and cleanings allow your dental team to detect infection before major damage occurs. For patients with periodontal disease, the first line of treatment is often scaling and root planing, a deep-cleaning procedure that removes bacterial buildup below the gumline and allows the gums to heal.
Come visit our dental office at 3421 Burke Rd Ste A, Pasadena, Texas 77504. We are here to help you get to your optimal dental health. Call us at 713-941-8261 to scheudle.