Can Teeth Fall Out After Deep Teeth Cleaning?
Scaling and root planing, also known as deep teeth cleaning or a dental deep clean, is a routine procedure that treats periodontal disease. During a deep teeth cleaning, a periodontist cleans inflammatory plaque and tartar from the surfaces of the teeth below the gum line, including the roots of the teeth, and resurfaces the tooth roots to prevent future bacterial accumulation. To diagnose periodontal disease, dentists use probing tools, visual and manual examinations, and x-rays. X-rays help dentists determine the extent of damage to the bone, which occurs when periodontal disease is present, to assess whether the deep teeth cleaning could possibly lead to tooth loss. While it is unlikely that the teeth would fall out after a deep teeth cleaning, it isn’t impossible, though the actual cause of tooth loss is the destruction of bone due to periodontal disease.
What is Periodontal Disease?
Periodontal disease is characterized by deep pockets between the teeth and gums, among a few other things. These periodontal pockets trap plaque and tartar, which accumulates around the base of the tooth, at its root. When the amount of tartar is excessive, it can act as a stabilizer for the teeth, helping to hold them in place despite the gradual loss of bone and supportive oral tissues. Once this tartar has been removed during a deep teeth cleaning, the gap that’s created between the tooth and gums can cause the teeth to feel loose, and you may be concerned that your teeth will fall out. If there is sufficient bone present, which is determined beforehand, this shouldn’t be an issue, and the teeth will begin to feel more stable as the gums heal and return to their healthy, protective positions around the teeth. In fact, removing this accumulated tartar and plaque is an imperative part of stopping infection and inflammation and helping the gums and tooth roots reattach. As the gums heal after a deep teeth cleaning, the pockets between the gums and teeth diminish, leaving less room for bacterial plaque and tartar to adhere to the teeth below the gums in the future.
What’s The Difference Between Regular Teeth Cleaning and Deep Teeth Cleaning?
Deep teeth cleaning is recommended for patients with advanced gum disease, also called periodontal disease. Regular professional dental cleaning is sufficient to treat mild gum disease and can even reverse gum disease before it progresses. In a regular dental cleaning, a dental hygienist scales away tartar and plaque above the gum line and just below it, in the small pocket between the gums and teeth, polishing the tooth’s surfaces to discourage tartar from adhering. When gum disease is allowed to progress unchecked, it develops into periodontal disease, which progresses into advanced periodontal disease without treatment. Deep teeth cleaning is similar to routine professional teeth cleaning, but it goes deeper, removing – or scaling – tartar and plaque from the surfaces of the roots of the teeth, below the gums, before polishing and resurfacing – or planing – these root surfaces to give plaque and tartar fewer places to hide and build up.
How Can I Keep My Teeth from Falling Out?
When periodontal disease remains untreated, it is characterized by the loss of attachment of the oral tissues. This means that the gums recede farther and farther away from the teeth, allowing bacteria to destroy the connective tissues that hold the teeth in place and gradually compromising the bone that supports the teeth. Eventually, this leads to tooth loss and bone loss. Deep teeth cleaning can slow the progression of gum disease and may stop it, though in more advanced cases, other, more invasive treatments may also be recommended. The earlier gum disease is treated, the better. Once gum disease or periodontal disease has been treated, maintaining excellent oral hygiene is the best way to prevent it from returning. So, if you’re concerned about your teeth falling out, rest assured that a deep teeth cleaning won’t be the cause of this issue, but it could help prevent such disastrous effects.