Root planing (often referred to as periodontal therapy) is a common non-surgical treatment for periodontal disease. Root planing is plaque and tartar removal from periodontal pockets.

Depending on the severity of the disease, root planing may require four 1-hour appointments to complete. Following these initial efforts to arrest the disease process, there will be a period of maintenance to keep the disease at bay. This may include 3 month intervals between maintenance sessions. If the condition continues to worsen, gum surgery may be necessary to remove the infection. The most important factors affecting the success of periodontal therapy are your personal home care efforts, your overall health and catching and treating the disease early. Click Here to return to Gum Disease Description