Caring for you gums after deep root planning and scaling.
The reason for deep cleaning is to remove the sticky bacteria plague that is formed on your tooth. Bacterial plaque buildup can lead to serious gum disease if left untreated. When too much bacteria build up between the gum line, the gums will start to pull away from the tooth. Deep cleaning involves scaling and root planning to remove deep plaque and tartar buildup beneath the gum line and smoothing the root to help gums reattach to the tooth. After visiting the periodontist for a deep cleaning procedure to prevent gum disease, you should be aware of how to care for your gums.
Continue to practice good oral hygiene
After a deep cleaning, your gums may feel tender and may continue to bleed. After deep cleaning you should continue brushing and flossing to keep your teeth and gums clean. A clean mouth will heal much faster. When brushing and flossing, the gums may bleed more than usual. You should not be alarm of the bleeding since it will resolve within three or four days. To reduce bleeding, you may have to be gentle at first, but make diligent efforts to keep your mouth plaque free. Rinsing your mouth several times a day with warm salt water can help ease recovery and inhibit bacteria growth.
Discomfort
When the anesthesia wears off, your mouth may feel sore or pain. To reduce pain and soreness, the periodontist may recommend acetaminophen or ibuprofen to eliminate the discomfort. Aside from pain and sore gums, your teeth may be more sensitive to cold or touch. Tooth sensitivity after deep cleaning can occur because the gum that is normally attached to the tooth is pulled away to clean the roots. Exposed roots can cause more sensitivity than normal. To minimize tooth sensitivity, you should continue to brush with anti-sensitive toothpaste to remove surface plaque to reduce sensitivity
Make good food choices and health style choices
A good nutritious meal is key to healing. However, after deep cleaning, you should avoid foods that may get lodge between the gum line. You should try to avoid hard, gritty foods such as peanuts, popcorn, chips, hard bread for a few days. Good foods to eat are soft breads, rice, fish, and eggs. To promote fast healing if your gum lines, you should avoid use of alcohol or smoking.
Scaling and root planning is done to remove is loaded with bacteria, around and below the gum. This procedure can cause minimal pain and discomfort after treatment, but when you properly care for your gums, it will heal much faster and reduce plaque buildup.
If you are ready for your next appointment, please give our office California Dental Group a call at (800) 407-0161 to schedule your next appointment.
