Protect your teeth by keeping your gums healthy!
Acton Dental Associates has created a strong foundation to support the health and beauty of patients’ smiles. That foundation is built on warm and friendly care, quality services, and sophisticated technologies. Our dedicated doctors and team further build close relationships with individuals and their families.
A dental checkup, scheduled once every six months, is considered to be the “standard” for healthy patients. These routine appointments essentially involve a thorough exam and professional cleaning by one of our skilled dental hygienists. However, a “deep cleaning” may be on the horizon for some patients.
Basics about Scaling and Root Planing (SRP)
Patients can benefit from a deep cleaning alternative to the standard cleaning treatment if we detect the presence of gum inflammation or periodontal disease. During checkups, we use specialized tools or probes to gently measure the spaces between the teeth and gums. As gum disease progresses, these spaces or “periodontal pockets” grow larger. They tend to attract harmful bacteria and plaque, which worsens the condition and only supports its advancement.
Depending on what we find during your examination and cleaning, Scaling and Root planning may be just what your dentist orders. SRP differs from the standard professional cleaning. Instead of removing stains, bacteria, and stubborn plaque at the gumline, SRP involves removing disease-producing substances from underneath the gumline. Our knowledgeable and well-trained professionals also smooth rough root surfaces. Rough surfaces tend to collect germs.
The idea behind this process is to encourage healing. So, we can use this procedure, along with specialized recommendations, to encourage healthy attachment of the gums to the teeth. After all, gum tissue is designed to protect and support the teeth. Gum disease erodes at this attachment and ultimately destroys the teeth and supportive bone.
Call (978) 881-5826 to schedule your appointment at our Acton office. It is important to get into a healthy habit of routine dental visits because gum disease is often “silent” or asymptomatic in its earliest stages. Irreversible damage could have already occurred by the time you may notice bleeding, swelling, tenderness, and other symptoms.
