What exactly is a periodontal scaling?!
Question: Without getting too technical. :)
Answers: Without getting too technical. :)
The objective of scaling and root planing, otherwise known as conventional periodontal therapy or non-surgical periodontal therapy, is to remove or eliminate the etiologic agents which cause inflammation: dental plaque, its products and calculus, thus helping to establish a periodontium that is free of disease.
Periodontal scaling procedures "include the removal of plaque, calculus and stain from the crown and root surfaces of teeth, whereas root planing is a specific treatment that removes the roughened cementum and surface dentin that is impregnated with calculus, microorganisms and their toxins."
Scaling and root planing are often referred to as deep cleaning, and may be performed using a number of dental tools, including ultrasonic instruments and hand instruments, such as periodontal scalers and curettes.
They go below the gum & scrape around the bone to clean.
Very good Robert!! much better than most answers on here. I agree. Doc W