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difference between full mouth debridement and root planing/scaling.

S

starladustangel

Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2012
Messages
27
My husband and I both went without dental insurance or money to visit a dentist for several years. I took better care of my teeth than him and was fairly good about brushing during that time but I rarely flossed. He neither brushed nor flossed and at one point did not own a tooth brush.

We've both had initial consults. For me I have two cavities to fill and an old filling they are replacing then will be having root planing and scaling due to gum disease caused by my bad flossing habits and 3-4 mm pockets. He on the other hand needs 4 root canals, 4 crowns, 10 fillings and then a full mouth debridement. The dentist told him after the debridement he may still need root planing and scaling. I am really confused about the difference between the two.

Googling about what both things are make them sound about the same but on the dental financial sheets they are whole different things. For him they are listing debrident as one procedure and one price. For me the root scaling and planing are listed as four procedures that they are breaking into two appointments.
 
The full mouth debridement gets rid of the large amounts of gross or chunks of calculus and until that is done the dentist or hygienist can't get in the pockets to measure how deep it is. Once that's done they can do a better assessment and do scaling and root planing if necessary.

SRP is charged and paid for by insurance by quads or quarters of your mouth, usually done one quarter or one half of the mouth at a time.

3-4 mm pockets really isn't bad, if insurance is supposed to be paying for this, call first- because sometimes unless you have several areas with 5 or deeper pockets it is not covered. Under my insurance you can only have a full mouth debridment covered once in your lifetime.
 
According to the insurance documentation I have all it says about srp is that they will only pay for it once every two years for four quarters. According to my dentists office insurance is supposed to cover part of it. I am paying for some out of pocket. The insurance considers srp basic care. I can't find anything about debridement.
 
I would call and make sure anyway especially since you are seeing a dentist in a chain, just because a crown or filling is on the plan doesn't mean they will cover it without xray proof it's needed. Just because SRP is a covered service doesn't mean without unhealthy pockets, bleeding on probing, recession etc that its indicated. Mine was denied because the dentist didn't measure first, just went in and did it..............

here's the insurance codes and definitions:
[broken link removed]
04341--periodontal scaling and root planing, per quadrant This procedure involves instrumentation of the crown and root surfaces of the teeth to remove plaque and calculus from these surfaces. It is indicated for patients with periodontal disease and is therapeutic, not prophylactic in nature. Root planing is the definitive procedure designed for the removal of cementum and dentin that is rough, and/or permeated by calculus or contaminated with toxins or microorganisms. Some soft tissue removal occurs. This procedure may be used as a definitive treatment in some stages of periodontal disease and as a part of pre-surgical procedures in others.

04355--full mouth debridement to enable comprehensive periodontal evaluation and diagnosis The removal of subgingival and/or supragingival plaque and calculus that obstructs the ability to perform an oral evaluation. This is a preliminary procedure and does not preclude the need for other procedures.
 
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