What does 'Full mouth debridement' mean?

This is a term used to describe a partial cleaning done when a patient has a mouth having a great deal of calculus and inflammation. Inflamed gums are often swollen (edematous) and bleed easily during a cleaning. The hygienist does a general 'gross' scaling with the intent of removing most visible calculus and usually plans on having the patient return after a week or two for a 'finer scaling'.

The basic concept is that when the patient returns their gums will have healed and have experienced some resolution of their inflammation. At this point, a second cleaning can be accomplished with less discomfort and bleeding. Also, the hygienist should be able to better visualize any remaining calculus, some of which may have been previously hidden by a patent's swollen gums.