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Has your dentist recommended scaling and root planing (SRP) to you? If so, do you wonder exactly what this procedure will accomplish? Scaling and root planing is a method of treating periodontal disease when pockets are greater than 3mm.
SRP is a non-surgical treatment usually recommended to most periodontal patients as the first mode of treatment. It is a careful cleaning of the root surfaces below the gum line to remove plaque, toxins and tartar from the root surfaces of the teeth with special instruments, ultrasonic scalers and some times even employees the use of lasers. This procedure is more intensive than a routine general dental prophylaxis or cleaning, which traditionally occurs every six months. For your comfort, the area may be numbed prior to treatment.
In some cases, systemic antibiotics (antibiotics taken orally), locally administered antibiotics (antibiotics placed into periodontal pockets), and or antibacterial mouth wash are prescribed at the time of the SRP procedure.
Antibiotics will help fight infections caused by the bacteria. Each time you take a systemic antibiotic, you increase your chance of developing drug resistant bacteria. That said, it is important to take antibiotics only as prescribed when necessary.
Research has consistently demonstrated that SRP reduces gingival inflammation and probing depths, and shifts the bacterial composition living in these pockets from one that is associated with disease toward one associated with health.
It is important to remember that some patients may not respond optimally to SRP with or without the antibiotics. These patients often respond favorably to advanced periodontal procedures that may include measures aimed at regenerating the natural anatomy that was lost to disease.
Periodontal diseases (also known as gum diseases) are infections of the gum and bone that hold teeth in place. If periodontal problems are not treated, they can become severe and may eventually lead to tooth loss. Periodontal diseases are often painless and you may not be aware that you have a problem until your gums and the supporting
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bone are seriously damaged. The good news is that periodontal diseases often can be treated in the early stages with a treatment to clean your teeth called scaling and root planing. Treatment has a huge benefit. You'll increase the chances of keeping your natural teeth.
Plaque includes a film of bacteria that attaches to teeth and gums. The bacteria in plaque cause irritation of the tissues that support your teeth. This irritation can lead to chronic inflammation, bleeding, and infection that can destroy your gum and bone tissue.
Plaque that is not completely removed may harden (calcify) into a rough, porous deposit ailed tartar, or calculus. Tartar by itself does not cause disease, but it typically allows more plaque to form and makes it more difficult to remove plaque that can thrive on, in or near the tartar. The only way to remove tartar is to have your teeth cleaned at the dental office. Importantly, plaque is always forming even as you sleep. Thus, regular visits to the dentist are necessary to remove plaque and calculus in hard to remove place. |
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