Professional dental cleaning is a routine preventive maintenance technique, which is performed during regular exams. Professional cleanings remove bacterial buildup from hard-to-reach areas, which helps prevent cavities, gum disease, and other oral health issues.
Root planing and scaling are deep cleaning procedures designed to address issues such as gum disease once they’ve already set in. Scaling involves your hygienist cleaning buildup from around and beneath the gums and root planing involves smoothing out bacterial pockets from the root system so bacteria can’t reattach.