Regular Cleaning or Deep Cleaning: Which One You Need

A regular cleaning is for healthy gums. It removes plaque and tartar from your teeth above the gum line and just at its edge.

A deep cleaning is for gum disease. It reaches down below the gum line to clean tartar off the roots of your teeth.

Which one you need comes down to one thing: how healthy your gums are. Your dentist measures that at your exam.

What happens at a regular cleaning?

A regular cleaning is the visit most people think of when they hear the word dentist. A hygienist scrapes off plaque and tartar, polishes your teeth and flosses between them.

It usually takes one visit and needs no numbing. Most people with healthy gums come in for one every six months.

Tartar is plaque that has hardened on the tooth. Brushing cannot remove it once it forms, so a cleaning is the only way to get it off.

What happens at a deep cleaning?

The dental name for a deep cleaning is scaling and root planing. Your dentist or hygienist cleans the tartar and germs out of the pockets between your gums and your roots.

Then the root surfaces get smoothed. Smooth roots give the gums a better chance to heal and tighten back around the tooth.

The area is usually numbed first. A deep cleaning is often split into two visits, one for each side of the mouth.

How does your dentist know which one you need?

At your exam, we measure the space between each tooth and the gum with a thin, marked tool called a probe. Healthy gums fit snugly, so the probe slips in only a little.

When gum disease sets in, those pockets get deeper and often bleed when they are touched. X-rays show whether the bone around the roots has started to shrink.

Deep pockets, bleeding and bone loss together point to a deep cleaning. Shallow pockets and healthy bone mean a regular cleaning is enough.

Signs your gums may need more than a regular cleaning

Only an exam can tell for sure. These signs are a good reason to book one soon.

• Your gums bleed when you brush or floss.
• Your gums look red or puffy.
• You have bad breath that does not go away.
• Your teeth look longer because the gums have pulled back.
• A tooth feels loose.

Does a deep cleaning hurt?

The gums are numbed first, so most people feel pressure and scraping during the visit. Sharp pain is not normal, so tell us if you feel it.

Afterward, your gums may feel sore and your teeth may be sensitive to cold for a few days. Rinse with warm salt water and brush gently with a soft brush.

Can you ask to see why you need a deep cleaning?

Yes, and you should. Ask to see your gum chart, the numbers from each tooth, and your X-rays.

A deep cleaning costs more than a regular cleaning, so it is fair to want the reason. At our office, we show you the numbers and the images and explain what they mean.

What happens if you skip a deep cleaning?

Gum disease does not go away with brushing once tartar is below the gum line. Over time, the pockets get deeper and the bone around the teeth shrinks.

That bone loss can loosen teeth, and gum disease is a leading cause of tooth loss in adults. Treating it early is easier and costs less than treating it late.

We explain the first visit in detail in what periodontal treatment involves at the first visit.

After a deep cleaning, do you go back to regular cleanings?

Many people come in more often for a while after a deep cleaning. Shorter gaps between visits give the gums time to heal without tartar building up again.

If your pockets heal and your gums stop bleeding, your dentist may move you back toward a regular schedule. Good brushing and daily flossing at home make that much more likely.

Cleanings at our Bucktown office

We are at 1908 N Western Ave in Bucktown, near the Western Blue Line stop. Wicker Park, Logan Square and West Town are all a short trip away.

If your gums are healthy, our page on the dental exam and cleaning covers what a routine visit includes. If the exam finds gum disease, our page on periodontal treatment in Chicago explains the next steps.

Come see us

Bleeding gums or a cleaning that is overdue? Call our front desk or tap Book Now at the top of this page, and we will check your gums.