Dental deep cleaning requires two visits to complete. Root planing and scaling can be performed using a local anesthetic to reduce discomfort, especially when the gums are very inflamed. However, many patients do well with topical desensitizer.During the procedure, special manual instruments, called scalers will be used to reach below the gums to remove bacteria, plaque, and tartar and restore the health of the gum tissues and teeth. Once the cleaning is complete and debris has been removed, a special antibiotic, Arestin, may be placed to the treated areas to help kill bacteria that are difficult to reach with the instruments and to provide protection against gum disease progression.