My dentist says that I desperately need a deep cleaning. What exactly is that, and will it hurt?

BY: Jennifer Nelson

“When the dentist or hygienist probes your gums, and the measurement between the tooth and gum is more than 3 millimetres in depth, it means some very bad germs are living below your gumline”, says Dr. Joe Kravitz, a prosthodontist -- a dentist with extra training in restoring and replacing teeth -- and the author of Dirty Mouth. You essentially have gum disease, but a deep cleaning could eradicate it completely and result in a healthy mouth. (The procedure is generally fully or partially covered by insurance.)

During a deep cleaning, also called “root planing” or “scaling,” a dental professional numbs the area with a lidocaine injection or topical gel, and scrapes the germs and dead tissue from below the gumline. Gum disease is usually localised to one or two areas of the mouth, so the procedure can often be done in an hour. If your gum disease is extensive, however, it may take two visits.

The good news is that, since you are numbed, there is no pain -- although you could be a bit sore afterwards.