Partial dental deep clean

What is a deep clean? I have had two cleans recently with the hygienist. Second one was a deeper clean and I was in the chair for a good 45 minutes. £92.00 for the second one and think £48.00 for the first one. I can’t think what more could be done to warrant £400.00.

A deep clean is sometimes called root planing, it's when they clean below the gum line.
What I objected to most was when he said, 'I'll give you an injection in the lower mouth, and a few injections at the top.' I don't know why I needed 'a few' injections.
I was in the chair for an hour. I just don't want to keep on doing this, and paying them £400 for it.

I had root-planing which I think is a dental deep clean. A locum NHS dentist had told me I was on the way to losing all my teeth due to gum problems. I had been complaining about bleeding gumes to my NHS dentist for quite a while and he had said all was ok. It wasn't!

The root-planing saved my teeth but it cost me a fair bit. This was 20 years ago.

gums, not gumes

If your gums are red there might be infection ? The Dentist is doing the deep clean to ensure your teeth and gums stay in good condition .
I agree that cost is a bit sreep

Sparklefizz

I had root-planing which I think is a dental deep clean. A locum NHS dentist had told me I was on the way to losing all my teeth due to gum problems. I had been complaining about bleeding gumes to my NHS dentist for quite a while and he had said all was ok. It wasn't!

The root-planing saved my teeth but it cost me a fair bit. This was 20 years ago.

I don't have bleeding gums though. What I do have are some deep pockets. Most pockets are 2 mm and some are 4, 5 or 6 mm. (I asked him for a printout of the gum pockets). But I have read that deep cleaning only reduces pockets by an average of 0.5 mm, which again makes me wonder if it's all worth it.

Antonia I don't think you can ever get rid of pockets completely once they have formed.

In what way was the first appointment "awful"? Was it the pain? I had to have sedation as my gums were in a bad way, which was great as I felt nothing. I was really glad I had had it done as it saved me a lot of dental woe years later.

If you don't trust your dentist's advice, I would find another one, but it sounds as if you do need this deep cleaning as you have mentioned your very deep pockets which will contain bacteria. These bacteria can cause inflammation in other parts of the body including (I believe) the heart. You may well have bad breath with pockets that deep, even if you don't think so.

Thanks Sparklefizz. I am on the waiting list for another dentist.

A lot of bad breath problems arise from the gut or the sinuses rather than the teeth all the time.
Euthymol is a good toothpaste for the mouth and gums, as well as the teeth of course.

I had deep pockets, 4mm plus. I'm told the gum disease I have is hereditary.
I had one deep clean with the hygienist.
She numbed the area first.
I now go for scale and polish every 3 months.
Sadly I have lost some teeth bur now I have no active gum disease and the pockets are between 1 and 2. Good luck

I had a deep clean earlier this year due to receding gums. Two appointments an hour each, one each side. Lots of injections, but after the first you don't feel the others.

It has made a huge difference to my teeth and gums. Each visit cost me about £300.00. It was at a specialist dental practice. Not pleasant and by the end of each hour I'd really had enough, but worth it to keep my teeth.

Now I visit the hygienist every 3 months for a normal clean and polish.

I do agree that seeing and paying for a good hygienist really does help to keep teeth and gums healthy. I used to go regularly for this and pay privately for the hygienist as they spend longer and do a more thorough job. I moved house and didn’t find a new dentist until teeth started giving me problems. I had to have two back teeth out and two visits in two weeks to the hygienist and they’ve settled down. If I had kept up my regular hygienist visits I’d still have those teeth!

EllanVannin

A lot of bad breath problems arise from the gut or the sinuses rather than the teeth all the time.
Euthymol is a good toothpaste for the mouth and gums, as well as the teeth of course.

EllanVannin I'm so happy to see you're back!!

Sar53

I had a deep clean earlier this year due to receding gums. Two appointments an hour each, one each side. Lots of injections, but after the first you don't feel the others.

It has made a huge difference to my teeth and gums. Each visit cost me about £300.00. It was at a specialist dental practice. Not pleasant and by the end of each hour I'd really had enough, but worth it to keep my teeth.

Now I visit the hygienist every 3 months for a normal clean and polish.

I could cope with two appointments of an hour each but the hygienist wants a minimum of four.

Antonia. Thankyou.

When I first joined a practice I was booked in for two hygienist sessions. I have one third of my teeth missing so wear a partial denture.
The dentist had checked my teeth and found my gums around most of my remaining teeth were not very deep. The measurements with the periodontal probe were 4mm or 5mm.
Hygienist took 45 minutes to do the top and I had several injections. 2nd appointment for lower teeth (where there are fewer) took 20 mins and I didn't need any injections.
Total cost was £125.

Teeth took a couple of days to settle after those visits.

After those two visits, I did join the practice payment plan which is £17.50 per month and this pays for two check ups and two hygienist appointment a year.

Since then, I see her every six months for the cleaning and after 3 years of this it takes her about 15 mins now to do all my teeth . She recommended I use the interdental brushes of different sizes which have really helped my gums.

Last measurements were mainly 2 with a few 1 and 3.

You are paying private fees for this treatment and I read you are on the waiting list for another dentist Antonia. Have you got any more private practices close to you without a waiting list?

Good Luck.

@MuseYou are paying private fees for this treatment and I read you are on the waiting list for another dentist Antonia. Have you got any more private practices close to you without a waiting list

The reason I am changing my dental practice is that I had an excellent dentist whom I liked and trusted. Unfortunately he has moved to a practice about 30 miles away. I am on his waiting list and I don't mind travelling if I can continue to be treated by him.

and I don't mind travelling if I can continue to be treated by him.

I have followed my dentist around! He's now quite close to home, but it has been worth moving to be with him in the past because he's kind and gentle and knows his stuff, and is the best I've ever had.

I mean moving practices, not moving house

Exactly, Sparklefizz. I just want my old dentist back! (Not 'old' in age, I mean old in that he's treated me for many years and I have confidence in him).

Please check/research the effect of insulin resistance and thyroid imbalance on oral health too Antonia. There is a lot of current data showing causal links of hormones to the inherent onset of gum disease.

I am sorry you have to have this intensive treatment.

I have serious gum disease as well as bruxism, and have lost a lot of bone, and also have to have 'deep' dentals regularly. I use floss, dental brushes, as well as floss, and clean my teeth very thoroughly but still get plaque. I have to see the hygienist every three months to save the teeth I have left.

Unfortunately I recently had to have a wisdom tooth out on both the left and right sides, I posted on here about my reaction to the adrenalin in the numbing agent. I don't look forward to check ups, but am glad to avoid pain if I can.

When I changed dentist, the new one informed me that I needed their hygienist to deep clean my teeth (I am not surprised, as my previous dentist hardly ever cleaned them, despite me asking him, that's why I left). I was booked in for 4 one-hour sessions, each session involved injections before treatment. I now see the hygienist every 3 months for a regular clean.

Antonia. I agree about having confidence in your dentist and hygienists. Hope you don't have to wait too long.