Professional cleaning involves scaling teeth and the gumline to remove plaque and tartar, and polishing to remove stains and smooth the tooth's surface. This is done to keep your teeth and gums healthy. If you have symptoms of gum disease, however, you may need another type of cleaning, called scaling and root planing or deep cleaning. Scaling and root planing is a non-surgical procedure done to treat periodontal disease and is performed to remove plaque below the gum tissue.