root curettage

root curettage, the debridement and planing of the root surface of a tooth with hand instruments and/or ultrasonic scalers to remove accretions and toxins to induce the development of healthy gingival tissues. Usually associated with periodontal disease. Also called root planing. See also apical curettage, subgingival curettage.

Preparation for root curettage (Gutman, Dumsha, and Lovdahl, 2006)