Profile

Most Periodontal lesions are brought about by the reaction of the host to the presence of the right combination of bacteria in sufficient quantities in the right places. This “sheltered” niche is located in the space between the gums and the teeth – the sulcus, which forms a normally shallow furrow around each tooth.

Occasionally, the deposits of plaque extend below the margin of the gums, and creep down into tooth surfaces within the sulcus, now termed “sub-gingivally” located plaque and calculus. At this stage, the appropriate treatment includes scaling off these deposits, as well as rendering the root surface of affected teeth clean and smooth. Similar picks and curettes are used to do this.