Deep Cleaning (Scaling & Root Planing) in Lisle, IL
When gum disease takes hold, scaling and root planing is the most effective non-surgical answer, which is why it's commonly called a "deep cleaning." At Brammeier Family Dental, Drs. Brammeier and Ericson use the procedure to clear tartar, bacteria, and toxins from below the gum line so your gums can heal and reattach to your teeth. As the first line of defense against periodontal disease, it often makes surgery unnecessary.
What it is
A non-surgical deep cleaning that lifts calculus (tartar), plaque, and bacterial toxins from above and below the gum line, then smooths the tooth roots so gums can reattach.
Who it's for
Anyone diagnosed with gum disease (gingivitis or periodontitis) whose inflamed gums, deep pockets, or tartar buildup are beyond what a regular cleaning can reach.
How we help
A careful reading of your pocket depths, gentle yet thorough treatment under local anesthesia, and follow-up care that tracks healing and keeps the disease from progressing.
Stopping gum disease starts with a deep cleaning. Schedule your evaluation today.
How the Procedure Works
- Numbing: Local anesthetic keeps you comfortable from start to finish
- Scaling: Specialized instruments lift calculus (tartar) and plaque from above and below the gum line
- Root planing: The tooth root surfaces are smoothed so bacteria have no rough spots to cling to
- Irrigation: An antimicrobial rinse may be flushed below the gums to lower the bacterial count
- Antibiotic therapy: Drs. Brammeier and Ericson may set antibiotic medication into deep pockets to speed healing
- Depending on severity, the procedure wraps up in one or two appointments
Benefits of Scaling & Root Planing
- Systemic health: The oral bacteria from gum disease can slip into the bloodstream, and research links periodontal disease to heart disease, diabetes, and other conditions
- Reduced inflammation: Clearing bacteria from deep pockets lets gums heal and tighten back around the teeth
- Stop bleeding gums: Healthy gums don't bleed, and treatment goes after the root cause of that bleeding
- Better breath: Persistent bad breath (halitosis) usually traces to bacteria in deep pockets, which treatment clears out
- Cosmetic improvement: Scaling lifts surface stains along the way, leaving teeth visibly cleaner and brighter
- Prevent tooth loss: Early gum disease treatment heads off the bone loss that loosens teeth
After Your Deep Cleaning
- Drs. Brammeier and Ericson ask you back 4–6 weeks after treatment for a follow-up evaluation
- Gum pocket depths get re-measured to gauge how well you're healing
- Should the pockets fall short of expected improvement, we'll talk through additional treatment options
- Most patients move on to periodontal maintenance appointments every 3–4 months
- Solid home care between visits is essential, so brush twice daily and floss every night
- Skip regular maintenance and gum disease comes back
Gum disease won't resolve by itself. A deep cleaning halts it before it does permanent damage.
What to Expect at Your Visit
Visit Steps
- Evaluation: Drs. Brammeier and Ericson measure pocket depths around each tooth to map how far the disease has spread
- Treatment plan: We walk you through the findings and the treatment we recommend
- Procedure: We numb the area and carry out the deep cleaning, with most patients reporting minimal discomfort
- Post-care: You leave with clear home care instructions for the healing period
- Follow-up: We schedule a re-evaluation for 4–6 weeks later
Helpful Tips
- Expect some gum tenderness and sensitivity for a few days afterward
- Steer clear of hot or spicy foods for the first 24 hours
- Soothe the gums with a gentle warm salt water rinse
- Keep brushing and flossing, gently but thoroughly
- Keep all follow-up and maintenance appointments so gum disease stays under control
- Don't smoke, as tobacco markedly slows gum healing
Frequently Asked Questions
The simplest way to think about it is preventive versus therapeutic. A regular cleaning, called a prophylaxis, is routine preventive care for gums that are healthy. It removes plaque and tartar from the tooth surfaces above the gum line and keeps a healthy mouth healthy.
A deep cleaning, known as scaling and root planing, is a treatment for gum disease. It reaches below the gum line to remove tartar and bacteria from the root surfaces and then smooths those roots so the gums can heal and reattach. Because it works beneath the gums where disease takes hold, scaling and root planing actively treats a diagnosed problem rather than simply maintaining, and it is often performed with local anesthesia for comfort. Which one you need depends on the health of your gums, not on preference.
Comfort is usually the first worry patients raise about scaling and root planing, and it is a fair one, but the procedure is far more comfortable than most people expect. We numb the area completely with local anesthesia before starting, so you should not feel pain during treatment, only the sensation of the cleaning itself. If you tend to feel anxious in the chair, tell us, and we can take extra steps to keep you at ease.
Afterward it is normal to have some mild soreness or temporary sensitivity to hot and cold for a few days while the gums heal. It is easily managed with an over-the-counter pain reliever and usually fades quickly. Nearly everyone who put off a deep cleaning out of fear of discomfort tells us afterward that scaling and root planing was much easier than they had braced for.
Most scaling and root planing is completed in one to two appointments, with each visit running about 45–60 minutes. How it breaks down depends on how much tartar has built up and how many areas of your mouth are affected. Often the mouth is treated one half or one quarter at a time, which keeps each visit manageable and lets us numb only the area we are working on.
At your evaluation in our Lisle office, Drs. Brammeier and Ericson will measure your pocket depths, see how widespread the gum disease is, and settle on the best approach for your particular situation, so you will know how many visits to plan for before treatment begins.
Scaling and root planing is usually a one-time treatment for a given episode of gum disease, not something repeated over and over. Once the deep cleaning has done its job and your gums have healed, the goal shifts to keeping the disease from coming back rather than treating it again.
For most patients that means moving on to periodontal maintenance cleanings every 3–4 months. Deeper and more frequent than a routine cleaning, these are what keep gum disease in check going forward. If maintenance is neglected and the disease returns, another round of scaling and root planing may become necessary, so staying on that schedule is the surest way to avoid repeating the deep cleaning.
Gum disease can be controlled well but not entirely cured. The reason comes down to the supporting bone: once periodontal disease has destroyed some of the bone that anchors your teeth, that bone does not fully grow back once it's lost, so we cannot simply return the mouth to a disease-free state as if it never happened.
What scaling and root planing does is stop the disease process and prevent further damage. By removing the bacteria and tartar that fuel the infection, it lets the gums heal, tighten back around the teeth, and hold steady. From there, ongoing maintenance keeps it in check for the long term. So while cure is not the right word for advanced gum disease, lasting control very much is, and that control is what protects your teeth.
Gum disease does not resolve on its own, so leaving it untreated allows it to keep advancing. Without scaling and root planing to remove the bacteria and tartar below the gum line, the disease tends to progress in a predictable way:
- The pockets between your gums and teeth grow deeper
- More of the supporting bone is lost
- Teeth begin to loosen
- Tooth loss eventually follows
There is a cost angle too. Advanced cases can mean surgical treatment from a periodontist, which is more involved and more expensive than stepping in early. Addressing the disease with scaling and root planing while it is still treatable non-surgically is far simpler, gentler, and more affordable than waiting until the damage forces a bigger intervention.
A healthy smile is built on healthy gums. Schedule your deep cleaning evaluation today.