Your dentist or specialist periodontist will initially assess all teeth to review the current health of the gums, presence of gum disease and bacterial deposits, and stability of your teeth. Your dentist or periodontist will then discuss the procedures and number of visits required for all your teeth to be sufficiently cleaned.

Deep cleaning is generally performed under local anaesthetic to ensure you are kept as comfortable as possible while the teeth are cleaned. We generally use a combination of topical anaesthetic creams, as well as injectable local anaesthetics to ensure you are pain-free throughout the procedure.

Based on the initial periodontal assessment, any teeth requiring treatment are then cleaned thoroughly with a combination of ultrasonic and hand instruments. This is generally performed over multiple visits, with sections of your mouth (such as a quarter or half of your mouth) cleaned at each visit as each appointment can be quite tiring.

As well as performing your deep cleaning, your dentist or periodontist will also ensure that you can maintain excellent oral hygiene at home. This includes instructions on brushing, flossing and use of other specialty implements such as interproximal brushes, floss threaders and water flossers. Making sure that you can thoroughly clean your teeth at home ensures that your gums have the best chance of healing and staying as healthy as possible.

After all required teeth have been deep cleaned, you will generally be required to return for a review of your gums after 3 months. The gums are checked and compared to the measurements taken before your initial deep cleaning. This gives your dentist and periodontist an indication of how well your gums are healing, as well as highlighting any areas which may require further treatment.