Cleanings and Prevention

General Cleaning (Prophylaxis)

On your initial visit, you can expect that we will measure your gums for recession and follow up measurements every year. We will compare these measurements to the x-rays and help you with the type of cleaning that is best suited to your current periodontal condition.

A "prophy" or prophylaxis cleaning is a standard cleaning and is for patient’s with no active forms of gum disease.A prophy helps to maintain current dental health and prevents the progression of gingivitis and periodontitis (severe forms of gum disease.)

A comprehensive evaluation is required to determine the best interval and type of cleaning for each individual, but the American Dental Association recommends cleanings twice per year to maintain oral health.

At our Santa Monica office, your cleaning will be completed by a registered dental hygienist or sometimes, a dentist and assistant.

Your cleaning visit will typically last about 40-70 minutes.

Deep Cleaning (Scaling and Root Planing)

Scaling & Root Planing procedure, also referred to as a “deep cleaning,” is required to treat active gum disease, such as gingivitis or periodontitis, which is diagnosed with a comprehensive oral evaluation.

The treatment involves cleaning thoroughly below the gumline to remove resilient tartar/calculus with the use of local anesthetic, ultrasonic instruments, and antimicrobials. By removing the source of chronic inflammation, promoting good home care, and re-evaluating every 3 to 4 months, we ensure that the gum disease is stabilized and does not reoccur.

You can expect your scaling to be completed in quadrants. A typical deep cleaning series would include two 2-hour visits for each left and right side. A 1-month re-evaluation and cleaning would be completed afterwards to verify home care and progress towards better dental health!