Scaling and root planing is non-surgical periodontal treatment: removal of hardened deposits and disruption of bacterial buildup below the gumline, where a toothbrush cannot reach. It is not the same as a routine cleaning. It is directed specifically at the sites that periodontal charting has shown to be diseased, and it is the treatment that resolves the majority of cases without any surgery at all.
A routine cleaning is preventive. It removes plaque and calculus from the tooth surfaces you can see and just beneath the gum margin, in a mouth where the supporting bone is intact. Scaling and root planing is treatment of existing disease. It works below the gum, on root surfaces that have been exposed by the loss of attachment, in pockets that may be four, six or eight millimetres deep. The instruments reach further, the surfaces being cleaned are rough root rather than smooth enamel, and the work is done under local anaesthetic because of where it goes. Being told you need this instead of a cleaning is not an upsell; it is a different diagnosis.
Treatment is normally divided across two or more appointments, usually by quadrant or by half the mouth, so that one area is numb at a time and you can eat afterwards. The area is anaesthetised, and deposits are removed from the root surfaces with a combination of ultrasonic instruments and hand instruments worked into each pocket, following the anatomy of the root rather than sweeping across it. Root surfaces are smoothed so that plaque has less to hold onto and the gum can reattach against them. Each appointment typically runs to an hour or more, because doing this quickly and doing it properly are not compatible.
Expect the gums to be tender for a few days and the teeth to be sensitive to cold, sometimes markedly so, because root surfaces that were covered by inflamed tissue and deposits are now exposed and clean. A desensitising toothpaste used consistently helps, and the sensitivity settles for most people over a few weeks. You may also notice the gums appear to have shrunk slightly and that spaces have opened between some teeth. That is the swelling resolving and the tissue tightening down — it is the treatment working, although it is worth knowing in advance rather than discovering in the mirror.
Roughly six to eight weeks after treatment, the charting is repeated. This is the step that separates periodontal treatment from a deep clean, and it is where the value of having measured in the first place is realised: the numbers either improved or they did not, site by site. Most sites respond. Those that have not are identified specifically, and only those are considered for further treatment — access surgery, regenerative procedures, or in some cases simply closer monitoring. Without reassessment nobody knows whether the treatment worked, and the next thing anyone finds out is at the point where a tooth has become loose.
What happens between appointments matters more than what happens during them. Plaque re-forms within a day, and the sites that were diseased are the ones that re-colonise fastest, so daily cleaning below the gum margin and between the teeth is what actually holds the result. You will be shown a technique that suits your own mouth — interdental brushes sized to your spaces are usually more useful than floss once pockets exist — and it will be reviewed rather than assumed. Smoking substantially reduces how well the tissue responds. Maintenance at three to four month intervals afterwards is part of the treatment, not an add-on.
Bleeding when brushing or flossing that has not resolved, gums that have receded, persistent bad taste or breath, sensitivity at the root surface, probing depths recorded above three millimetres, or bone loss visible on radiographs.
Periodontal charting settles it in one appointment. The measurements either show disease or they do not, and you see them either way.
All prices in CAD · starting prices
Ongoing
All prices are starting prices and may vary depending on case complexity, treatment requirements, materials and other clinical factors. Final treatment costs are confirmed following consultation and treatment planning. Prices effective September 2026.
Scaling and root planing is priced from the current BC general dentist fee guide by the amount of treatment time required, which depends on how much of the mouth is affected and how deep the pockets are. Your full course is quoted in writing after charting.
Disease confined to a few sites and disease throughout all four quadrants are very different amounts of treatment, and the fee guide prices them accordingly.
Deeper pockets and heavier deposits take longer to treat thoroughly, and quality here is a function of time spent rather than technique alone.
Periodontal treatment is not a single event. Maintenance appointments at shorter intervals than a routine cleaning are what hold the result, and they are quoted separately so you can see the ongoing commitment before you start.
Periodontal treatment is covered by most dental plans, though many apply an annual maximum that a full course of treatment can exhaust. We can provide a written treatment plan with procedure codes so you can confirm your own coverage and, where it helps, stage treatment across benefit years. Patient financing is available.
Oral Surgery and Implants
Dr. Ali Mehdi brings over 15 years of experience in oral and implant surgery, with a focus on advanced implant dentistry and complex full-mouth rehabilitation. From routine oral surgery to advanced bone grafting and full-arch implant treatment, his approach combines surgical experience, digital technology, and individualized care.
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BDS, EDA, DABOI, MSc, Cert. Prostho, PhD
Board-Certified Specialist in Prosthodontics in Canada and Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology, with extensive experience in prosthodontics and implant dentistry.
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General Dentist │ MSc in Periodontics
General dentist with a Master of Science in Periodontics, prior Assistant Professor experience and clinical interests in periodontal treatment, implants and family dentistry.
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Dentist
Dentist with a Master's degree completed in Australia, focused on ethical, personalized care and helping patients make informed decisions about treatment.
View ProfileIt is priced from the current BC general dentist fee guide according to the amount of treatment required, which depends on how many areas are affected and how deep the pockets are. The full course is quoted in writing after periodontal charting.
Deep cleaning is the everyday name for it, yes. The important distinction is from a routine cleaning, which is preventive treatment of a healthy mouth. Scaling and root planing treats existing periodontal disease below the gumline and is carried out under local anaesthetic.
The treatment is carried out under local anaesthetic, so the appointment itself is comfortable. Afterwards the gums are tender for a few days and the teeth are often sensitive to cold for a few weeks, which settles.
Usually two or more, treating a quadrant or half the mouth at a time so you are not numb everywhere at once. The number depends on how much of the mouth is affected and is confirmed after charting.
Root surfaces that were covered by inflamed tissue and hardened deposits are now clean and exposed. Sensitivity to cold is common, responds to desensitising toothpaste used consistently, and settles for most people over a few weeks.
Swollen gum tissue has tightened down against the teeth as the inflammation resolves. It is a sign the treatment has worked rather than a complication, though it is better to know beforehand than to notice it in the mirror.
Yes, and it is the appointment that matters most. Charting is repeated six to eight weeks later to establish which sites responded and which did not. Without it, nobody knows whether the treatment worked.
Active treatment is generally a one-off course, but it is followed by maintenance appointments at three to four month intervals, which is what holds the result. Sites that deteriorate later may need re-treating, which is what the charting at each maintenance visit is for.
Most plans cover periodontal treatment, though many apply an annual maximum that a full course can exhaust. We can provide a written plan with procedure codes so you can confirm your coverage and, where it helps, stage treatment across benefit years.
Patients travel to us from White Rock, South Surrey, Surrey, Langley, Delta and across the Fraser Valley, and we accept periodontal referrals from dentists throughout the Lower Mainland. Our team also speaks Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu.
Book a periodontal assessment at Apple Dental Specialists in White Rock. Full charting tells you which sites are affected and how deep, and the treatment plan and costs follow in writing before anything begins.