“Why do my gums hurt after a deep cleaning?”

By definition a deep cleaning means your hygienist has to go below the gum line to clean the surface of the tooth- hopefully proper home care will result in routine cleanings afterward

Because bacteria was removed with instruments under your gums and this is a sensitive part of the body.

Your gums hurt after the deep cleaning for two reasons. First, the gums are in a heightened state of painful response due to being infected and the body's response to it. Second, the treatment to cure the infection causes trauma and injury and this results in additional pain. The trauma and injury from the treatment to cure the infection is short lived and heals entirely.

When you bang your shin into a coffee table, the injured area becomes swollen and inflamed. Light touch that normally should not produce pain, produces pain now. This is analogous to the swelling and inflammation from the injury caused by the bacteria in your infected gums. The gums become in a heightened state of painful response.

Likewise, the instruments used to perform the deep cleaning are sharp, which is necessary to remove the infection, and these tools cause mechanical injury to the area when removing the infection. Combined with a heightened state of pain response, gums hurt after a deep cleaning.

Rinse with warm salt water a few times per day and take any pain medication that was recommended by your doctor.

Hope this helps.