Deep Cleaning
Deep Cleaning in Edison, NJ
Also called scaling and root planing: a cleaning that goes below the gumline to treat gum disease. We do the whole mouth in one visit, and we'll tell you honestly whether you need one at all.
- Whole mouth in one visit
- We measure before we recommend
- Second opinions welcome
- Open Saturdays 8 AM – 1 PM
Signs your gums may need more than a regular cleaning
Most people end up on this page for one of two reasons: something in their mouth changed, or another office told them they need a deep cleaning and they want to know whether that's true. Both are good reasons to come in.
- Gums that bleed when you brush or floss, most days rather than once
- Gums that look puffy or red, or that have pulled back from the teeth
- Bad breath that comes back within hours of brushing
- A tooth that feels loose, or teeth that seem to have shifted
- Tenderness when you chew on one side
- It has been several years since anyone cleaned your teeth
What to do before your appointment
Keep brushing, and keep flossing, especially the spots that bleed. Bleeding isn't a reason to stop; inflamed gums bleed, and they stop bleeding once the inflammation goes. Nothing you do at home in the next week will make a deep cleaning unnecessary, and nothing will make it worse either. Come as you are.
When it isn't a cleaning problem
Swelling in your face or jaw, a bad taste that keeps coming back from one spot, a fever, or pain that wakes you up are signs of infection rather than inflammation, and they need to be seen now rather than at your next opening. Call (732) 985-1120 or see emergency dental care.
What a deep cleaning actually is
A deep cleaning is a cleaning that goes below the gumline. A routine cleaning polishes what you can see; a deep cleaning (scaling and root planing) removes hardened plaque from the roots of the teeth, inside the pocket that forms when gums pull away from them.
That pocket is the whole point. Healthy gums sit tight against the tooth. When plaque hardens under the gumline, the gum lifts away and a space opens up that a toothbrush can't reach and that collects more of the same. Cleaning it out lets the gum tighten back down. Left alone, the pocket deepens, and the bone underneath goes with it, and that part doesn't grow back, which is the honest reason not to wait.
How it goes here
Four steps, and the first one decides whether there are three more.
We measure
A deep cleaning is diagnosed with a number, not an opinion. A probe reads the depth of the pocket around each tooth: one to three millimeters is healthy, four and up is where a deep cleaning starts to be the honest answer. Ask us for your numbers. We'll read them out and tell you which teeth they came from.
We tell you what we found
Including when the answer is that you don't need one. Some mouths need a regular cleaning and better flossing, some need a deep cleaning on two teeth rather than thirty-two, and some need the whole mouth done. All three are things we say out loud.
The cleaning
We do the whole mouth in one visit rather than splitting it across two or four appointments. It's a longer chair session, but it's one trip, one round of numbing if you want it, and one recovery instead of four.
We look again
Gums take a few weeks to respond. We re-measure once they have, and what that shows decides how often you come back. Some people go back to the usual six months; some do better on a shorter interval. That call gets made after we see the gums, not before.
Does a deep cleaning hurt?
Less than most people expect, and you have a say in it. Tell us before we start if you want the area numbed. That's a normal request, not a difficult one, and nobody here will talk you out of it.
Plan on a long appointment rather than a quick one, since we're doing the whole mouth. You can eat afterwards, drive yourself home, and go back to work. What you'll feel for a day or two is soreness along the gumline and teeth that are briefly more sensitive to cold, because the roots that were covered in hardened plaque are now clean and exposed to your morning coffee.
The first two weeks
Warm salt water rinses help with soreness. A sensitive-teeth toothpaste helps with the cold. Soft food for a day if you want it, though most people don't bother.
The part that matters is flossing, every day, including the places that bleed for the first few days. A deep cleaning resets the mouth; daily flossing is what stops it filling back in. Gums that were inflamed for years don't tighten up in a week, so the real test is what your measurements look like at the follow-up.
What it costs, and what insurance does
Most dental plans cover a deep cleaning at least in part, usually as a separate benefit from your routine cleanings, and often with a limit on how often it can be repeated. What you actually pay depends on your plan, your deductible and how much of your annual maximum is left.
So we do two things rather than quote you a number we can't stand behind. We verify your benefits with your carrier before the appointment, and we give you the cost of the work before we start it. If the number is wrong for you this month, say so. Gums don't improve on a schedule set by a calendar year, but there's usually more than one way to sequence the work.
Deep Cleaning (Scaling & Root Planing)
Cleaning below the gumline to treat gum disease. Whole mouth in one visit; quoted after we measure.
See the insurance we accept, or call (732) 985-1120 and we will verify your benefits before you come in.
Reviewed by
Dr. Michael Lesnianski, DDS
Doctor of Dental Surgery, New York University College of Dentistry, graduated with Clinical Honors; residency at Woodhull Medical Center, Brooklyn.
Last reviewed
“Dr M and his entire staff are the best! I have been a patient for 36 years and Dr. M is the most honest, gentle and polite dentist. He never advises unnecessary dental work and the work he does is excellent.”
Do I really need a deep cleaning, or is it an upsell?
It's a fair question, and the answer is a measurement rather than a matter of opinion. Pockets of four millimeters and deeper, especially with bleeding and tartar below the gumline, are what a deep cleaning treats; one-to-three-millimeter pockets with healthy gums are not. Ask for your numbers at any office that recommends one, including this one. If another practice has told you that you need a deep cleaning and you want a second look before committing, that's a visit we're happy to do.
How long does a deep cleaning take?
At Edison Dental Studio, one visit for the whole mouth. Many offices split the work into two or four appointments, a section at a time. Doing it in one sitting means a longer appointment, but one trip, one round of numbing if you want it, and one recovery.
Can I just get a regular cleaning instead?
A regular cleaning doesn't reach below the gumline, so where there are deep pockets it polishes the problem rather than treating it. If your measurements are borderline, we'll say so and give you the option of cleaning up your routine at home and having us measure again, rather than booking the deep cleaning that day.
Teeth cleaning and exams →What happens if I don't get it done?
Gum disease is slow and, for a long time, painless. The pocket deepens, more plaque hardens where a brush can't reach, and the bone that holds the tooth in place recedes. Inflammation reverses; lost bone doesn't. That's the reason this is worth doing before it starts to hurt, because by the time gum disease hurts, it's usually late.
Will my gums bleed after a deep cleaning?
Some bleeding and soreness for a few days is normal, and it isn't a reason to stop flossing. Inflamed gums bleed, and they stop once they settle. If bleeding is heavy, or if soreness is getting worse rather than better after a few days, call us at (732) 985-1120.
Where to go next
Cleanings and exams
What you go back to once the gums are healthy, and what keeps you out of this page's territory in the first place.
Emergency dentist
Swelling, a bad taste from one spot, or pain that wakes you up is an infection, not a cleaning problem. Same-day care.
New patient special
New here, or coming for a second opinion? Start with an exam, X-rays and a cleaning, and we'll measure while you're in the chair.
Where to find us
Edison Dental Studio is at 96 Plainfield Ave, Edison, NJ 08817. The practice has cared for families in Edison for more than 50 years. You can reach us at (732) 985-1120.
- Monday
- 9 AM – 5 PM
- Tuesday
- 9 AM – 5 PM
- Wednesday
- 9 AM – 5 PM
- Thursday
- Closed
- Friday
- 9 AM – 5 PM
- Saturday
- 8 AM – 1 PM
- Sunday
- Closed
Part of our general dentistry care.
Deep cleaning in Edison, NJ
Come in and let us measure. If you need one, we'll do it in one visit. If you don't, we'll tell you that instead.