Wait at least two hours before eating, and then select a soft diet for the first 48-72 hours, chewing on the opposite side of your mouth. Avoid alcoholic drinks and hot or spicy foods until your gums are healed. Do not use any tobacco products for at least 72 hours after the procedure because tobacco slows healing.
After scaling and root planing there will be some discomfort or soreness in the gums. Our hygienist will recommend that you use an antiseptic mouthwash or simply warm, salty water to swish around your mouth when you get home and avoid eating hard foods immediately after.
Scaling and root planing can manage the inflammation of the gum tissue. While it won't regenerate new gum tissue, it may encourage the remaining gum tissue to reattach to the teeth. If you've lost a great deal of gum tissue, then you may need a surgical treatment called a gum graft.
Within a week the gums will start to heal and reattach to the roots of the teeth. The initial discomfort should be gone. Full recovery and reattachment can take up to 6 or 8 weeks, but patients are usually back to normal eating, drinking, brushing, and flossing within the first week.
After scaling and root planing is completed, you may experience slight discomfort around the teeth for several days and increased sensitivity to hot and cold (and sometimes sweets) for up to four to six weeks duration. This is a normal course of healing.
You can eat as soon as you feel ready to do so. But this is if you only had a deep dental cleaning. If your dentist did a cleaning and a fluoride treatment, you'll have to wait for at least thirty minutes. Fluoride treatments are often done to help make your teeth stronger.
For the following 24 hours After Treatment you must: Avoid any dark staining drinks like Tea, Coffee, Red Wine, colored soft or alcoholic drinks and fruit juice.
Avoid sticky, hard (such as ice cubes, nuts, popcorn, chips), brittle, spicy, highly seasoned, or acidic foods in your diet. Foods such as soups, pasta, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, macaroni & cheese etc. are best. Be sure to maintain adequate nutrition and drink plenty of fluids.
Myth #3: My Teeth Feel Damaged After a Cleaning
If the dental hygienist had to scrape very hard to remove all of the plaque, it could leave the teeth and gums feeling sensitive. This might be especially noticeable the first time a person eats afterward. This is normal and shouldn't last more than an hour or so.
Minor bleeding and swelling may occur, but this should subside after a few days. Other risks include issues with gum reattachment, gum recession, or nerve damage. These side effects are rare, and most patients have no issues after their treatment.
Chlorhexidine has powerful antibacterial properties, and can be especially helpful in maintaining a healthy mouth after a teeth deep cleaning procedure such as tooth scaling and root planing. This rinse also helps to control and kill the bacteria in your mouth that cause gum disease.
Use Sensodyne toothpaste to decrease general sensitivity, be patient as this takes weeks or months in severe cases. Removing all plaque from a “touchy” tooth and placing a dab of fluoride toothpaste on it will greatly reduce cold or touch sensitivity within a few days.
Rinse your mouth with Chlorohexidine, an antibiotic mouthwash, twice daily after brushing your teeth in the morning and at night. Rinse your mouth with Chlorohexidine for 30 seconds each time. Do NOT rinse your mouth with water after rinsing with this medication.
Avoid hot foods and drinks for 4 hours after teeth cleaning. Hot food and drink can dissolve the fluoride before it has a chance to set permanently. The heat can also be uncomfortable for the patient experiencing tender gums and sensitive teeth after the cleaning.
Any food or drink that is high in acid like tomatoes, citrus fruits, pickles, fruit juice and red wine are harsh on your mouth after a deep dental cleaning. Spicy and heavily seasoned foods may also cause your mouth some discomfort.
For the first 24 hours, it is good to avoid sharp foods such as nuts or popcorn, which can get caught in the tissue area and hinder healing. For the first 48 hours, it is good to avoid acidic foods such as oranges and salsa. It is also good to avoid hot foods and beverages.
Does scaling and polishing whiten teeth? Yes. A scale and polish is not primarily designed to whiten the teeth, as that is what teeth whitening treatments are for. With that said however, a scale and polish will in fact leave the teeth looking smooth, shiny, and whiter after the treatment.
Plaque formation on the teeth is a continuous process. If this is not removed by brushing it starts mineralizing into tartar within 10-14 hours. Such persons may require periodic scaling, every 6 months or so. The golden rule is to have a routine dental check up every 6 months.
If performed as soon as possible, scaling and root planing can sometimes reverse gingivitis, preventing it from progressing into more serious gum disease. However, in many cases, gum disease has already settled enough to make reversing it impossible.
If you have been diagnosed with periodontal disease, and suffer from bone loss, inflammation, and/or tartar has accumulated beneath the gumline, then the hygienist will need to clean 'deeper' below the gumline, and this is often known as a dental deep cleaning.
The disadvantages of deep cleaning teeth include nerve damage and potential infections if you have a compromised immune system. The cleaning might cause pain, and sensitivity in the treatment doesn't guarantee reattachment of your gums to the teeth. The cleaning might even cause further gum recession.
Most periodontists recommend scaling and root planing twice a year or more, depending on the severity of your gum disease. In fact, some patients are seen every 3 – 4 months.