If you’ve been told you need a deep cleaning, you’ve probably also heard it called scaling and root planing, or SRP. They’re the same thing. Our gum disease page explains what it is and why it’s needed. This page is about the part people actually ask us about: what it’s like, how long it takes, and how you’ll feel afterward.
The short answer: our hygiene team does it, usually with the area numbed, about an hour for each quadrant (a quarter of your mouth). You’ll likely be sore for the rest of the day, and about half of people notice some cold sensitivity that usually fades within a few weeks. We check how your gums responded at your three-month visit.
Who does it
I diagnose the gum disease and plan the treatment, and our hygiene team does all of our deep cleanings. They do this every day, and they’ll walk you through each step before they start.
Numbing
Most people are numbed. Depending on the person and the area, that’s an injection, a numbing gel placed under the gums, or both. Some people do fine with the gel alone, and a few prefer no numbing at all. It’s a case-by-case decision, and you get a say in it.
How many visits
We schedule about an hour for each quadrant. Many quadrants only take half an hour, so we often do half your mouth in one hour and the other half in a second hour, all four quadrants in two hours. Sometimes all four fit in one appointment.
Research comparing the two approaches found that doing it a quadrant at a time or all at once gives the same results, so the schedule can fit your life.
Jervøe-Storm PM et al. Full-mouth treatment modalities (within 24 hours) for periodontitis in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022;6(6):CD004622.
How you’ll feel afterward
- Soreness. Expect your gums to ache once the numbing wears off. In one study, pain peaked about three hours after treatment and was back to normal by the next morning. Most people didn’t need a pain reliever.
- Cold sensitivity. About half of people notice their teeth are more sensitive to cold afterward. It usually fades within a few weeks.
- A little bleeding for the first day or so is normal.
- Salt water rinses help the gums settle. That’s what we usually recommend.
Pihlstrom BL et al. Pain after periodontal scaling and root planing. J Am Dent Assoc. 1999;130(6):801-807. von Troil B et al. A systematic review of the prevalence of root sensitivity following periodontal therapy. J Clin Periodontol. 2002;29 Suppl 3:173-177.
Your gums will change shape, and that’s the point
Swollen gums shrink as they heal. Your teeth can look a little longer, and small spaces can show up between them near the gum line. That isn’t the treatment causing damage. It’s the swelling going down, and it’s part of how the pockets get shallower. If a space bothers you once things settle, we can talk about it.
Checking how it worked
We re-measure your gums at your three-month visit. In a large review of the research, most deep pockets closed to a healthy depth after a deep cleaning.
If there’s been no improvement, or if several pockets are still deeper than 6 mm, we refer you to a periodontist, a gum specialist. Some deep spots need more than a cleaning can reach, and the periodontist we refer to has more tools for that.
Suvan J et al. Subgingival instrumentation for treatment of periodontitis. A systematic review. J Clin Periodontol. 2020;47 Suppl 22:155-175.
Antibiotics and lasers
For a pocket that’s slow to respond, we sometimes place a slow-release antibiotic (Arestin) afterward. It isn’t part of every deep cleaning. We’ve used lasers in the past and don’t anymore. If your gums need antibiotic pills for the infection, we usually refer you to the periodontist.
After: every three months
A deep cleaning controls gum disease. It doesn’t cure it. We recommend coming back every three months, for good. That’s the interval the guidelines most often point to, and in our experience, patients with gum disease do better on it.
Keeping those visits is what saves teeth. In one study, people who kept their gum maintenance visits lost about one tooth every eight years. People who came irregularly lost about one every three years.
Sanz M et al. Treatment of stage I-III periodontitis: the EFP S3 level clinical practice guideline. J Clin Periodontol. 2020;47 Suppl 22:4-60. Costa FO et al. Tooth loss in individuals under periodontal maintenance therapy: 5-year prospective study. J Periodontal Res. 2014;49(1):121-128.
Why it costs more than a cleaning
A regular cleaning works above the gum line. A deep cleaning works below it, on the roots, which takes longer and is billed as a different treatment. Insurance plans describe it by the quadrant. We charge for the time it takes, by the hour. So if all four quadrants fit in two hours, you pay for two hours, not four.
Where to start
If you’ve been told you need a deep cleaning and want to know what’s going on in your mouth first, call 702-734-0776. You can also watch our short video on how gum disease takes hold.
General education, and not a substitute for an exam.