Wow, this year is going really great! I spent my birthday night at a funeral home, and I found out today, I’ll be having a dental procedure on Valentines day!
I’ll be having a laser deep cleaning done in a few weeks. They are using the laser on the top, then when that is healed, they will do the manual procedure on the bottom.
I just wondered if anyone has had this done? I might wish I hadn’t asked!! Don’t scare me to death!!
I’ve never heard of a dental DEEP cleaning. It sounds scary, but then again, I’m a big sissy when it comes to dentists.
Two of my roommates just had to have this done recently, they hadn’t been to the dentist in years and they’re both former smokers. I guess they usually do one quadrant at a time, taking 4 visits. One of my roommates smooshed it into 2 sessions so he could get it done before he lost his dental coverage.
His mouth was sore for a day or two and a wee bit puffy, but he was fine other than that. Good luck! 
Thanks HamaLee - I don’t know of anyone who has had it done before, so I was hoping to get an idea of what to expect!
I saw a new dentist on Monday, and he asked if it’s been a while since I’ve been to the dentist - the truth is, I’ve seen a dentist regularly every 6 months for years. I also brush 4 times a day and floss 3 times a day. My husband, (whose dental habits aren’t nearly as good as mine) gets great check ups, while I have periodontal disease! Life isn’t fair!!
Of course, we do eat the same things, and my cholesterol is perfect while his is sky high - that’s something to be thankful for…
Anyway, hopefully, I can have this cleaning and get this problem arrested before I have tooth loss, bone loss, etc!
If you have the dental habits that you have described, I would seriously, seriously get another opinion especially since you just switched dentists. You will not get periodontal disease if you floss and have had regular cleanings unless you are sick with some sort of systemic infection which I’m assuming you aren’t or are a heavy, heavy smoker. Deep perio cleanings are a quick way for dentists to scare you into a high priced procedure and to keep you coming back for more. Ask what your pocket depths are, if they are 2’s, 3’s and 4’s then you are being ripped off. Also, your previous dentist should have this information, if the two charts don’t match, move on. Trust me, I retired out of dentistry in 2000 because of practices like this, people get ripped off all the time and it’s real hard to prove. There are alot of unscrupulous dentists out there. Get your previous records and ask for your charts from this dentist and compare them before you sink a bunch of money into something you don’t need. I’m guessing he couldn’t sell you a bunch of crowns so he went the perio route to make his money off of you.
Sorry Stitchwitch, but I don’t agree. I am meticulous about my teeth and always have been. I have mild peridontal disease which I have kept from progressing by regular cleanings and an occasional deep cleaning of two problem areas. Although poor care can certainly contribute to peridontal disease it does not ONLY occur in people who don’t take care of their teeth.
I am older (50’s) but have never smoked, brush three times a day (I keep a toothbrush in my purse) and floss regularly. I use Listerine twice a day and have my teth cleaned every six months. Have taken meticulous care of my teeth all my life
You may be right about it being an over used procedure but I’d rather be safe than sorry when it comes to my teeth.
My exhusband had very bad periodontal disease and I developed it about 10 years into our marriage. My Peridontist told me that the bacteria that cause peridontal disease can actually be spread through kissing.
The deep cleaning is no more uncomfortable than a filling, they will use novacaine.
It does depend on what kind of procedure the dentist is going to use. You say a laser are the going to cut the gums also. That is what the dentist said I should have. Well now I have all the upper teeth falling out. They are so bad and I go to the dentist every three months. I was told that this is a procedure that makes money for the dentists.
So do really think about it does it make sense to cut some of the gums to stop pockets? If it is just a deep cleaning then that is not as bad to your teeth. I have that done of the bottom of my teeth once a year and cleaning to the rest of the year.
Good luck and I hope that I didn’t scare anyone. I thought that I was doing the right thing and it back fired on me.
I should note that both of my roommates, mentioned above, were told by their dentist what their pocket numbers were. They both higher than 4, and one of them had 7s! So yeah, your dentist should definitely be giving you that number. I believe anything up to 3 is healthy and shouldn’t need more than regular cleanings. If they didn’t tell you this ask!
You say Sharly you go to the dentist regularly - did your previous dentist ever told you about problems before? I doubt it can just appear suddenly. :?? :shrug:
If you’re unsure, it’s a good idea to ask for a second opinion.
Thanks everyone for your input.
Based on what I have read, and after talking with the Periodontist, I feel like I do need the procedure. Even though I have thought I was doing what needed to be done by flossing and brushing regularly, I do have a lot of bleeding. When I would see my former dentist, the hygenist would just talk down to me like I was a child and even told me there was no reason to be dishonest about my habits. They even made me watch a video on how to floss your teeth. That was humilating, I’m in my 40s! They never suggested any type of treatment to help with the situation, other than to take a mulit-vitamin (which I do) and not to brush too hard. They assumed I wasn’t doing my part in my dental care. Then, when the Dentist would come in to see me (for about a minute), he would pat me on the shoulder and say “Everything looks fine, just keep up what you’re doing”. :shrug:
I was beginning to think that bleeding gums were just something I had to deal with. Then, when a new practice opened up, that was really more convenient, I took the opportunity to change dentists (I don’t know why it took so long)!
I have much better dental habits than DH and he always got excellent check ups and even complimented on what good care he takes! :grrr: (But, he has a cracked tooth that the former dentist never diagnosed!)
After talking to the Periodontist I was referred to for the Deep Cleaning, I understand a little better how this could have happened. He explained how the bacteria is different from person to person and how it affects people differently. Also, the anatomy of my mouth is such that I am unable to adequately clean at home. Also, I have extensive dental work (most of it old), including 6 root canals, and he explained how that can affect and exacerbate the situation. And, of course, genetics plays a role, too.
So, my hope is that I can get my gums healthy and keep the teeth I have. I do plan eventually to have some crowns and other improvements done. But, I know I have to have a healthy foundation before I have any of that.
Ginny - thanks so much for sharing about your experience. It’s really hard when you think you are doing what you need to do, and the situation isn’t getting better. I’ve never been a smoker, either, so that was never a factor. I didn’t know the bacteria could spread through kissing. Wow, I would feel awful if dh got it. Thanks for saying that periodontal disease doesn’t only happen to people who don’t take care. I think there’s definitely a stigma there.
Stitchwitch - thanks for your iput as well. You offer a different perspective! I actually do feel confident about the new dentist (more so than the old one), and they did do the measurments and I had several areas that were 6mm, this coupled with the swelling and bleeding (yes, I’m terribly attactive!) leads me to believe in my case it is warranted.
Gingerbread - I’m sorry you have had such a bad experience. I know it is disheartening. I have recently spoken with someone who said she went through this years ago. She had the deep cleaning a few times, but eventually had to have her teeth pulled and has dentures. She said it was the best thing she ever did. Don’t worry, you didn’t scare me 
I’m glad you shared, and I hope you get some resolution, soon.
Sharly, ahhh the info you gave now adds up. A six pocket is bad and it sounds like your old dentist wasn’t up to par on your dental care and his hygienist wasn’t very competent either. It happens.
I rescind my opinion of the new guy and hope that your experience is favorable. Good luck with all of it. I’m glad you found someone who can set you on the right track of optimum oral health.:cheering:
DH and I get our teeth cleaned 4 times a year. I’m pretty good with flossing, but not as much as they say to do. :shifty: Anyway, I’ve never had a deep cleaning with a laser, but I’ve had it done manually a few times. They numbed up my mouth and scraped away. It was a little sore afterward from all the deep cleaning around and under the gum line, but it wasn’t too bad.
Thanks Stitchwitch! I love the “optimum oral health” phrase! That’s what I’m going for!
Jan, thanks for sharing! They will use the laser on the top because those are worse than the bottom. The bottom will get the manual cleaning later.
They way they explained the laser procedure, I couldn’t help but think it was very similar to a D&C. It basically takes away the diseased and damaged tissue so new healthy tissue can grow, and they also do the scraping on the tooth root…what fun! I think I’ll be ok, but I will be taking the day following off from work…my, my what will I do? I hope I feel well enough to knit!!
Ask them for the oral rinse too, I think it’s called Periomed if I can recall correctly. It’s kind of expensive and is available only through your dentist or via prescription but it works. Also, ask them about the antibiotic fibers they can put around your tooth to kill a pocket bacterial infection if one develops in the future after you’ve had the root planing and curretage. If you no longer have a whole mouth issue this is an easy way to go or if you get a flareup.
Lastly, (hygiene preacher coming out, cover your ears and run for your life :teehee: ) make sure your diet is really good and you aren’t under alot of stress (yeah right, easy to do). Next to smoking, diet and stress are the leading causes of periodontal disease. Under that, diabetes and high blood pressure and genetics. If your parents had perio problems, chances are you might too. Those are the systemic causes that are the hardest to get in check and require more diligent action.
Thanks! All good advice. They did mention going over some follow-up care for me to do at home, that may be what they had in mind. I suspect too, they’ll want me to get a water pik. I had one once before, but I admit I didn’t use it because it was a pain. They have one now that is cordless and self-contained. I might give that a try if I have to.
My diet is good for the most part. I don’t eat sugary snacks or drink sugary sodas. I also don’t use caffeine at all. (I don’t know if that has anything to do with it). I’m not diabetic and my bp is good. However, on the gentics side, I got a double whammy. Both parents had dental issues, so I’m sure that is a major factor for me.
Again, thanks for your input. It’s great to get the “inside scoop”
Yes, I agree. I have had this experience. I also worked for years as a certified dental assistant. I was meticulous in my dental hygiene. I had my general dentist hygienist doing cleaning every 3 months only to find that I had periodontist!
Now let me explain, There are hygienist and there are Hygienist! As in any profession it depends on their thoroughness. In my personal case the hygienist that I was seeing did not do an aggressive cleaning.
After you have a through, deep scaling by a periodontist you will be able to recover your gingiva (gums) and the infected area will be controllable and healed. It does sound unpleasant but with topical anesthetic it is very comfortable.
Maybe, you already had this done?
In any case, find a expert dentist in your area, not because a friend recommended this one or that. Research a Board Certified, ADA member and also see if there have been any complaints against them or lawsuits. My experience was working with Tufts University in Boston, Ma.
Good luck.