The goals of scaling and root planing are to remove bacteria, plaque and tartar, and to halt the progress of the disease. While most scaling and root planing treatments can be completed comfortably without an anesthetic, our dentist can offer several anesthetic and other comfort options to make certain that you feel at ease during your treatment. The scaling and root planing treatment may be split up into several appointments, in which we treat one section of the mouth at each appointment.