What Is Deep Cleaning of Teeth (Scaling and Root Planing)?

Scaling removes plaque and tartar from the tooth. A routine scaling works on the crown above the gum line and just below it, in one appointment, and is the cleaning most people think of. Our guide on what teeth scaling is covers that appointment.

Root planing is the next step. Where gum disease has opened pockets around the tooth, deposits sit on the root surface deep inside them. Fine instruments are used to remove those deposits, then the root is smoothed so that bacteria find it harder to stick and the gum can reattach.

Together they are called deep cleaning. Which one you need is decided by measuring pocket depths with a probe and checking bone on an X-ray, not by how clean the teeth look.

It is for people with periodontitis, where pockets have formed and deposits are below the gum. Pockets of about 4 mm or more with bleeding are the usual trigger, though the dentist decides case by case.

It is not needed for gingivitis, where the gum is inflamed but no pocket or bone loss has formed. That responds to a routine scaling and better home cleaning, as set out in our page on curing gum disease without a dentist.

Bleeding alone does not tell you which one you need, which is why measurement comes first. The wider service is described under gum treatment.

Local anaesthetic is given to numb the gum and teeth in the section being treated, so you should feel pressure but not pain. The mouth is usually divided into four sections, called quadrants, and one or two are done per visit.

An ultrasonic scaler removes the bulk of the deposit with a cooling water spray, and hand instruments then clean and smooth each root surface. It is slow, careful work and each visit commonly takes 45 to 60 minutes.

Full treatment usually takes two to four appointments. Some practitioners treat the whole mouth in fewer, longer visits. Ask which approach is being used and why.

The numbness wears off in a few hours, so avoid hot drinks and chewing on that side until it does. Gums can be sore and bleed lightly for a day or two. Salt water rinses help. If you take a painkiller, use paracetamol or ibuprofen as directed on the label, and avoid ibuprofen if you have stomach ulcers, kidney disease or asthma that it worsens, are pregnant, or take blood thinners.

Teeth often feel sensitive to cold for a week or two as roots that were covered by deposit are exposed. Gums tighten as they heal, so teeth can look longer and gaps can show. That is the real position of the gum, revealed.

A review at about four to six weeks measures the pockets again. Those that are still deep may need more work. After that, maintenance visits every three to four months keep it stable.

In Lucknow in 2026, deep cleaning costs ₹1,500 to ₹4,000 per quadrant, or ₹6,000 to ₹15,000 for the full mouth, against ₹800 to ₹2,500 for a routine scaling and polishing. The full table is on our teeth cleaning cost page. These are city-wide market ranges, not a quotation from this clinic.

Risks are small: temporary soreness, sensitivity, and gum shrinkage that exposes gaps. Seek care the same day if you develop spreading facial swelling, fever or a severe throbbing pain, and go to a hospital emergency if swallowing or breathing is affected.