Have you had periodontal scaling done, and what was your experience afterwards? !

Have you had periodontal scaling done, and what was your experience afterwards? Did it work? recommend it?

if you are considering periodontal treatment and are nervous of possible side effects/postoperative discomfort, I recommend that you consider the following

1. Use a sensitive toothpaste (I use sensodyne gel as it tastes really nice) and do not rinse it out after brushing.

Spit out and leave the rest on the teeth. If you have any sensitive areas at the moment, apply toothpaste to the area with your finger, after brushing. Ensure you rub it into the gum line.
Reason for this is that as a result of gum disease, the dentine of the tooth(root surface) becomes exposed in the mouth due to gum recession and/or over zealous brushing. If you could look at this area with microscope you would see that it has little "holes" that make it look like a tea bag. These are called tubules and they have nerve endings inside them.

Sensitive toothpaste includes an ingredient that blocks/fills the tubules to prevent anything (food, water, cold drinks, cold air) from going into the tubules. Unfortunately, if you rinse the toothpaste out, you are washing the ingredient off thats designed to block the tubules. So, if you are going to use a mouthwash, do not use it when you brush, use it at a totally different time e.g. lunch-time.
You need to carry on using the toothpaste indefinitely and not keep switching from brand-to-brand as this too will "open the tubules".

Patiients I have treated can sometimes complain of some discomfort in the first few days following treatment. which is reduced by taking ibuprofen before the apointment and then four hourly. Discuss this with your pharmacist. Sensitivity is the other issue in patients not using sensitive toothpaste.

I always carry out periodontal scaling when the patient is numb. The main reason for this is that it prevents the patient being in pain, but it is also to help me relax too as I jump if a patient feels pain! Also, bleeding is reduced (the anaesthetic reduces blood flow to the area)it means that I can be much more thorough as I can access all the areas I need to treat without causing pain and discomfort.

hope that this helps.