It feels more comfortable after removing the layer of calculus by dental cleaning. However, there is a trace of calculus again two months later. The gums around the tooth cervix become a bit loose and goes lower, leaving a gap. Besides, the gums are red and swollen. I have done a thorough dental cleaning recently, why there is still dental calculus?

It rings true that dental cleaning is able to remove calculus, but it can’t heal the previous scars of gums. Periodontitis will cause gum recession and food debris will go below the gum line through the gap, resulting in dental calculus and periodontal pocket. Dental cleaning indeed improves the swollen gums. However, the gap at the gum edge obviously offers an opportunity for food debris to gather again. The receding gums won’t grow back. It’s hard to clean the dental plaque below the gums. So dental calculus will finally be built up again around the tooth cervix.

Since calculus will come into being before long, is dental cleaning of totally no use? The answer is no. Because it can remove calculus which promotes bacterial growth, dental cleaning serves a function of treating periodontitis. In face of the re-buildup of dental calculus, there are usually two solutions.

On one hand, much attention should be paid to the teeth edge after the first dental cleaning for patients suffering from periodontitis. Once there is something wrong, conduct a regular dental cleaning or periodontal scaling after two months. If the gums recede severely, this way can only alleviate the periodontitis temporarily. On the other hand, you can choose to conduct a periodontal surgery, i.e. gum graft. It aims to cover the receding part by transplant other periodontium and eradicate periodontitis eventually.

If the gum is healthy enough, will calculus be built up again after dental cleaning? Of course, there is no way that dental cleaning can be done once and for all. It has a close relation to your daily oral hygiene. You’d better conduct a dental cleaning every year, to know your dental condition in time. For instance, dental caries or wisdom tooth eruption can be detected during the process of dental cleaning. If the case is quite severe, you can seek a scaling treatment as well. It has to be noticed that dental cleaning cannot be done frequently, otherwise it will hurt the gum and cause the re-buildup of calculus. As for periodontal patients, they are allowed to conduct several dental cleanings a year under the instructions of dentist.

How to prevent the formation of dental calculus? First of all, brush your teeth twice a day, in the morning and before the bedtime, and rinse your mouth with water after meals. Besides, use a floss to clean tooth gaps and surfaces. What’s more, mouthwash containing Chlorhexidine digluconate serves as an auxiliary way in treating periondontitis, helping it to heal faster and prevent the re-occurrence of dental calculus.

Feel free to contact me if you have any dental problem. (Wechat ID: aiyuan325180)