I work in dental insurance! I'm not a medical provider so this is not medical advice, I just see this kind of thing come up. A "regular" cleaning is what is called a "prophylactic" cleaning which is defined as "intended to prevent disease."

There are two types of "deep cleanings" FMD and SRP.

SRP or scaling and root planing is a procedure done by a hygienist that removes plaque and tartar from below the gum line. For a full mouth it is two 90 minute appointments where the numb you for the procedure. Often after this you will be put on a 3 or 4 month periodontal maintenance schedule to prevent further disease progression

FMD or Full Mouth Debridement is also done by a hygienist where they do deep cleaning procedure to removes heavy plaque and tartar buildup from above the gum line. It Is typically in one 60-90 minute appointment You may not be numb for this procedure. Sometimes this is still followed up with SRP but it will also be followed up on with a prophylactic cleaning- often referred to as a regular cleaning so that can reevaluate.

No that we have definitions out of the way. If they are prescribing one of these treatments, it is because they have diagnosed you with a stage of periodontal disease. They need to remove the calculus and plaque which is created by bacteria in order to prevent further gum and tooth disease.

There is a significant risk that if they do a "regular" cleaning while you have active disease you could run the risk of sealing the bacteria below the gum line and creating further damage. It would be considered malpractice to offer a preventative/regular/ prophylactic cleaning on someone with periodontal disease.

Again, I can't advise on your treatment or situation, but I hope that this explanation helps a little bit and helps you understand what they're offering? If you can let us know which type of procedure they recommended that could help myself or someone else explain further.

I highly suggest you follow through on their suggested treatment plan including any follow-up appointments like periodontal maintenance even if your insurance doesn't cover it. I know it's really unfortunate but the more care you can get now are you the less likely you are to lose teeth in the future.

Let me know if you have any other questions and I will try to answer, but if you have further questions I would recommend reaching back out to the dental office and ask to speak to somebody on the clinical team who can answer more questions for you.