I had scaling done and now there are holes in my gums and between my teeth. Three misconceptions about scaling

Hello, I’m the director of Seoul Bardi Dental Clinic.

The last month of 2025,

the end of the year is approaching.

One of the things you should definitely do before the year ends is

get scaling covered by health insurance.

Scaling is covered once a year,

and because this year’s benefit disappears once December passes,

many people come in for scaling toward the end of the year.

But after getting scaling, some patients return with concerns like these:

“After scaling,

the gum seems to have a hole in it.”

“The space between my teeth got bigger.

Did you shave my teeth?”

Scaling is done for the health of your teeth,

but if you notice holes in your gums, your teeth feel more sensitive,

and the spaces between your teeth seem wider, anyone could feel anxious.

However, this is not a problem caused by scaling.

It is simply the real teeth that were hidden by tartar and inflammation being revealed.

Today, through the three most common misconceptions about scaling,

I’ll explain the changes that can appear after scaling.

<Table of Contents>

1. After scaling, holes appear in the gums and between the teeth. Was it treated incorrectly?
2. My teeth are sensitive after scaling. Were my teeth shaved?
3. If you get scaling often, don’t your teeth become weaker?

1. Why holes in the gums

and between the teeth can appear after scaling

After providing scaling,

I hear very often, “A hole appeared in my gums,”

and “There’s a hole between my teeth.”

If you compare photos before and after scaling,

you can see that spaces between the teeth have appeared.

But this does not mean the teeth were shaved away.

It means the tartar that was occupying the spaces between the teeth is gone.

I had scaling done and now there are holes in my gums and between my teeth. Three misconceptions about scaling

Until then, because tartar had been filling the area between the teeth and gums,

you may not have felt the gaps.

As the tartar is removed through scaling,

the swollen gums subside,

revealing the spaces that had originally been there.

As a result, it can look as if holes have formed in the gums and between the teeth.

I had scaling done and now there are holes in my gums and between my teeth. Three misconceptions about scaling

To make it easier to understand, let’s use an example.

When you bump into something or get injured, the area swells, right?

When the inflammation goes down in the swollen area,

the swelling subsides and it returns to the original height of your skin.

Scaling is the same.

When the gums are swollen because of inflammation,

and scaling removes the tartar and inflammation,

the swelling goes down.

As a result, the gums settle back to their original height.

The teeth remain the same, but because the gums recede, it looks like spaces have formed between the teeth.

2. Why teeth feel sensitive after scaling Before scaling, tartar covers the roots of the teeth,

so cold water or wind does not cause much sensitivity.

But after scaling,

when the tooth roots that had been covered for a long time are exposed to outside air,

short-term sensitivity can occur.

It is similar to suddenly stepping out into cold air

after being under a thick blanket.

Most cases naturally ease within 1 to 2 weeks,

and it does not mean there is a problem with the teeth, so there is no need to worry too much.

3. The misconception that frequent scaling weakens teeth Scaling is not a treatment that “shaves down” the teeth.

It is a procedure that removes only the tartar and bacterial film attached to the tooth surface

through the fine vibrations of an ultrasonic device.

I had scaling done and now there are holes in my gums and between my teeth. Three misconceptions about scaling

Even so,

because of the concern that “scaling wears down the teeth,”

some people end up not getting scaling at all.

To help clear up this misunderstanding,

we sometimes lightly touch the scaling instrument to the patient’s fingernail to show them.

You can directly confirm that there is no damage to the surface of the nail after the procedure.

Because teeth are a tissue much harder than nails,

scaling does not shave down or weaken the teeth.

In fact, if you keep postponing scaling,

tartar hardens even more like stone,

and digs deep below the gums,

causing the jawbone to gradually dissolve.

In the worst case, it can even lead to losing teeth.

Gum disease has almost no symptoms in the early stages, so it is hard to notice on your own.

Even if you do not feel any discomfort, it is important to manage it in advance through regular scaling and dental checkups.

In particular, health insurance scaling is a benefit available only once a year,

so I recommend making sure to get it done before the end of the year.

However, no matter how good a treatment is, if you think it will hurt,

you tend to keep putting it off. That is human nature.

So at our dental clinic,

we reduce pain and sensitivity from scaling by

first performing thorough gargle anesthesia,

and then proceeding with the scaling.

If you are worried that scaling will be sensitive or painful,

please do not hesitate and feel free to visit us.

Thank you.

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I had scaling done and now there are holes in my gums and between my teeth. Three misconceptions about scaling

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