If a patient complains of space developing between their teeth after scaling and root planing (SRP), what is the likely cause?

If a patient complains of space developing between their teeth after scaling and root planing (SRP), what is the likely cause?

• A. Increased swelling of the gums
• B. Improved oral hygiene
• C. Reduced edema, gums less swollen
• D. Bone loss around teeth

Answer: (C)

The situation described with the patient experiencing a space developing between their teeth after scaling and root planing (SRP) is likely due to reduced edema and the gums being less swollen. Scaling and root planing are procedures intended to remove plaque and calculus from the teeth and below the gum line, which leads to healthier gums. Following SRP, inflammation and swelling of the gingival tissue typically decrease as periodontal health improves. As the swelling subsides, the contours of the gums change, making the spaces between the teeth appear larger. This is a common and expected occurrence as the gingiva returns to a more healthy and anatomically normal state. Consequently, the changes don't imply that damage has occurred; rather, they reflect an improvement in the periodontal health status. The other options may provide some context, but they don’t directly explain the phenomenon of spacing. Increased swelling of the gums would lead to the opposite effect — closer spacing — while improved oral hygiene and bone loss around the teeth are not directly related to the immediate visible outcome of space appearing between teeth after SRP. Thus, understanding the reduction of edema as the primary reason for the observed increase in inter-dental space helps clarify the response the patient is experiencing.

The situation described with the patient experiencing a space developing between their teeth after scaling and root planing (SRP) is likely due to reduced edema and the gums being less swollen. Scaling and root planing are procedures intended to remove plaque and calculus from the teeth and below the gum line, which leads to healthier gums. Following SRP, inflammation and swelling of the gingival tissue typically decrease as periodontal health improves.

As the swelling subsides, the contours of the gums change, making the spaces between the teeth appear larger. This is a common and expected occurrence as the gingiva returns to a more healthy and anatomically normal state. Consequently, the changes don't imply that damage has occurred; rather, they reflect an improvement in the periodontal health status.

The other options may provide some context, but they don’t directly explain the phenomenon of spacing. Increased swelling of the gums would lead to the opposite effect — closer spacing — while improved oral hygiene and bone loss around the teeth are not directly related to the immediate visible outcome of space appearing between teeth after SRP. Thus, understanding the reduction of edema as the primary reason for the observed increase in inter-dental space helps clarify the response the patient is experiencing.