• Scaling removes the hard tartar which forms on your teeth like scale inside a kettle. You can't remove it just by brushing your teeth. Scaling also removes trapped food and plaque containing millions of germs, which can cause tooth decay and gum disease. Stains from coffee, tea, cigarettes or red wine are also cleaned away when your dentist polishes your teeth
• For polishing, your hygienist will use a rotating brush or rubber polisher with toothpaste
• Scaling cleans above and below the gums. If you have gum disease, scaling needs to be deeper, around the roots of the teeth
• This is called 'root planing'. Your hygienist may give you a local anaesthetic to make it more comfortable
• Deep Curettage is a procedure in which diseased tissue is removed from the mouth and gums. In curettage procedures, instruments are used to cut away dead tissue. The idea is that such tissue can contribute to inflammation, infection, and bad odours, and that removal of the damaged tissue will promote the development of healthy tissue
