Understanding the Basics of Dental Debridement

Debridement is somewhat of an official welcome back party that we throw in our offices for people who haven’t visited a dentist in a long time –probably several years. During that time, the patients’ teeth must have become heavily colonized by advanced levels of plaque buildup that might prevent us from properly examining their teeth. With debridement, we can remove any hardened build-up of tartar to unravel the actual condition of your teeth’s health.

During the procedure, our dentists carefully work through the contours of your tooth and gum using an ultrasonic device and scaling tools to dislodge thick layers of plaque from the teeth and gums.

Our Debridement Process

There are basically two types of plaque buildup that our dentists focus on during our debridement process. First is the supragingival plaque, which grows on the surface of the gums and teeth, and the other is the subgingival plaque, which develops below the gum surface and is much harder to reach.

For people who’re sensitive to pain, our dentists will first apply a local anesthesia or some form of sedation like nitrous oxide. If you’ve been putting off a dentist appointment because you’re afraid of pain, the anesthesia will put out that fear and numb all pains during the dental procedure.

Our dentists utilize a combination of non-invasive scaling tools and an ultrasonic device to tackle both supragingival and subgingival tartar buildup. The operations of the ultrasonic device are also non-invasive and painless. The device dislodges tartar using water and high-frequency vibrations. The entire process can be long and arduous, but it usually doesn’t take more than a single dentist appointment.

The Follow-Up

Debridement is usually a preliminary procedure we use to prime our patients for a more comprehensive examination. Subsequent visits after the debridement will help us determine if any further dental procedures are required to restore your teeth to optimal health. Visit our offices today for a deep-cleansing, painless, and non-invasive debridement procedure.