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Ultrasonic Scalers Periodontal disease is a serious oral health issue that affects the health of your gums, your periodontal ligaments, and your jawbone. The earliest stages of the disease are easily treatable, but this stage is often overlooked, and it continues to worsen the longer it goes untreated. Professional treatment is required to stop the progression of periodontal disease and restore the health of your mouth. Scaling and root planing is a commonly used treatment. At Crossroads Family Dental, we perform your scaling procedure with the help of an ultrasonic scaler.How Periodontal Disease ProgressesPeriodontal disease occurs when a buildup of plaque and oral bacteria start attacking your sensitive gum tissue. When this happens, the tissue becomes inflamed. This early stage is known as gingivitis and is often accompanied by bleeding gums. Eventually, the gums begin pulling away from the teeth, and pockets form. Bacteria fall into these pockets and begin attacking your periodontal ligaments and your jawbone, along with your gum tissue. The pockets grow deeper, and the bacteria fall further down. The gums begin receding, and the teeth may become loose. Ultimately, periodontal disease can lead to tooth loss. What is Scaling and Root Planing?Scaling and root planing is a common procedure for periodontal disease. It is essentially a deep cleaning of all surfaces of your teeth, including the areas above and below the gum line. Scaling is the cleaning of the visible surfaces of your teeth, with special attention paid to the gum line. With specialized tools, we can remove the most stubborn buildup, including plaque, tartar, bacteria, and other debris. Root planing is the smoothing of your tooth roots. This process removes plaque, bacteria, and toxins from these areas of the teeth, making it difficult for the new buildup to accumulate. When the surfaces are cleaned, an antibacterial wash is used to kill and remove any remaining bacteria. Ultrasonic ScalersTraditionally, scaling has been done using a manual metal tool. While effective, it can often cause a significant amount of pain, along with additional trauma to your already compromised gum tissue. At Crossroads Family Dental, however, your scaling procedure is done with an ultrasonic scaler. An ultrasonic scaler is an electronic tool that relies on low-frequency sound waves. These sound waves vibrate against the teeth, effectively dislodging and eliminating stubborn plaque, bacteria, and other debris. There are two types of the ultrasonic scaler. A magnetostrictive scaler operates at 25,000 to 30,000 cycles per second. The head moves in a circular motion. The piezoelectric scaler operates at 28,000 to 36,000 cycles per second. Instead of moving in a circular motion, the head of this ultrasonic scaler vibrates back and forth. Along with scaling the teeth, ultrasonic scalers are also equipped with a sprayer nozzle, enabling us to administer an antibacterial wash below the gum line as we work. Benefits of Ultrasonic ScalersUltrasonic scalers enable us to treat your gum disease more effectively and completely. There are several benefits associated with this revolutionary tool including:
Seeking treatment for periodontal disease is essential to prevent serious consequences from occurring. To find out if treatment using an ultrasonic scaler is right for you, call Crossroads Family Dental at (219) 440-2950 today. |
