Scaling and Root Planing in Houston Heights

For men and women in Houston, TX, MINT dentistry wants to help all of our patients have a healthy smile. We prefer to avoid dental problems with proactive oral health care like exams and cleanings; however, if you develop signs of gum disease, your normal cleaning twice a year might need extra help. MINT dentistry uses modern equipment and techniques to correct gingivitis, the first stage of gum disease, through scaling and root planing. SRP (scaling and root planing) is a simple treatment that is done by our team of MINT dental professionals to reverse the earliest stage of gum disease by cleaning out buildup that has accumulated below the gumline. This advanced treatment includes two stages — first the gum pockets are deep cleaned, then the enamel is planed (smoothed) to reduce more plaque and tartar from becoming trapped. If you have signs of gum disease, make an appointment for an exam and consultation at our modern practice in Houston, TX. If you want to improve or maintain your oral health, our team of MINT dentists will help you get sexy teeth with both preventive and advanced treatments.

At your annual examination, we will measure the pockets of your gums. If the pockets (sulcus) are three millimeters or greater, a scaling and root planing treatment is the most common option. This treatment is performed to clean out your gum pockets and reduce their depth by removing built-up tartar and plaque beneath the gumline, which causes gingivitis — the first stage of gum disease. A few of the symptoms of gingivitis are chronic halitosis (bad breath), teeth that feel loose, plus tender, inflamed gums that are receding, red, or bleeding. If gingivitis is identified and addressed early, a scaling and root planing treatment or multiple SRP treatments can improve the condition, but if it has developed into periodontitis or advanced periodontitis (the later stages), you might need another treatment to repair your oral health.

A deep periodontal cleaning with scaling and root planing (SRP) is done in our practice with a local anesthesia to keep you comfortable during the treatment. Your team of MINT dental professionals will also give you other dental sedation options for dental fears or anxiety. To start your SRP treatment, you'll relax in a comfortable chair. Once you've put on a set of Beats headphones and selected some music, we'll give you MINT sunglasses to protect your eyes. Then, your team will give you the anesthesia discussed during your consultation to make sure you are comfortable throughout the treatment. Once you've been prepped, your experienced dentist will start with a scaling tool to carefully remove the plaque and tartar that have built up in your gum pockets. The dentist will then perform the planing, smoothing the enamel to eliminate the most common places where plaque and tartar build up.

For the rest of the day after your procedure, you will probably have greater sensitivity in your gums and teeth, plus numbness until the local anesthesia wears off. The MINT doctors might write a prescription for antibiotics to fight any residual infection in your mouth. You need an oral hygiene routine at home, which includes flossing and brushing at least twice a day, to make your smile healthy. Keep scheduling routine cleanings and oral exams, so we can assess your gums and general dental health. Based on the way your gums respond to your first treatment, your dentist may suggest another treatment to fully reverse the symptoms of gum disease.

Treatments for gum disease, like scaling and root planing, are generally covered at least partially by most dental insurance policies. If you are using insurance, someone on our front office staff will speak to your insurance company to understand the specific coverage of your policy and then calculate your out-of-pocket costs. For patients who don't have insurance, our office is committed to making necessary oral health treatments affordable by taking several methods of payment, like low-interest medical financing, which we can tell you about in your initial consultation. Ask a MINT team member for more information on the MINT Discount Plan, which helps you afford treatments like scaling and root planing so you can have sexy teeth.

Periodontal or gum disease damages your dental health and stops you from having a healthy, beautiful smile. When gum disease is diagnosed in the earliest stage, gingivitis, can typically be effectively reversed with one or more scaling and root planing treatments at our office in Houston, TX. Contact MINT dentistry to find out your treatment options for gum disease by scheduling a consultation. The board-certified doctors at MINT dentistry perform treatments like scaling and root planing to help you show off a smile that's radiant and healthy.