Professional dental hygiene appointments include cleaning (scaling) or root planning. They are non-surgical dental procedures that clean around the tips of the gums to help fight gum disease formation and progression. Plaque and bacterial build-up can occur even with daily brushing and flossing at home, and needs to be removed regularly to prevent the formation of periodontal disease. Bleeding, redness and inflammation are all the result of plaque and tartar build-up under the gums. It is deep dental cleaning in its simplest terms. Coming consistently for your dental hygiene appointments are part of the top level of preventative care we provide at Riverpark Dental - all contributing to keeping your teeth strong and healthy.
When regular dental hygiene appointments are missed, the opportunity for periodontal disease widens and grows. It commences as gingivitis and is characterized by red, inflamed, bleeding gums. If gingivitis progresses into periodontitis, bone tissue is lost from bacteria eating away at it and other supporting structures underneath your gums. Bad breath, inhibited function and reduced mobility can occur as a result of periodontitis, with the most catastrophic result being the loss of your teeth.
There has been a correlation between periodontal disease and the development of other diseases for a long time, and was previously hypothesized that bacteria was the link between the two. Instead, recent research has shown that inflammation may be the link in the correlation - suggesting that treatment of inflammation may help manage periodontal disease and other chronic inflammatory conditions.