All About Periodontal Maintenance
Undergoing a dental procedure known as a deep cleaning or scaling and root planning is just the first step in treating periodontal disease. After getting a deep clean you will then have to schedule regular appointments for periodontal maintenance.
Learn more about why periodontal maintenance is needed and what you can expect to happen during these appointments.
Why is Periodontal Maintenance Needed?
When you have periodontal disease, deep pockets form around your gum line. At first these pockets are harmless, but over time they can cause problems. Harmful bacteria and food particles can get stuck in these deep pockets. When these things get stuck in the pockets it can cause you to experience pain, inflammation, and infections. That is why a deep cleaning or a scaling and root planning is needed.
Scaling and root planning open up these pockets. Once opened up a dentist can flush out the pockets and successfully remove any bacteria or food particles that are stuck there. Unfortunately while a scaling and root planning will help improve the health of your teeth and gums, it won’t close up the deep pockets that have formed. Periodontal maintenance is needed to prevent bacteria and food particles from getting back into these pockets and causing you problems.
Periodontal maintenance appointments are designed to help keep your teeth and gums healthy after undergoing a scaling and root planning. These maintenance appointments involve cleaning and removing surface stains from your teeth, flushing out any deep pockets that formed around the gum line, and removing plaque or tartar that may have formed on the surface of the tooth’s root.
What Happens During an Appointment for Periodontal Maintenance?
Appointments for periodontal maintenance are very similar to regular routine dental cleanings. The only difference is instead of just cleaning the surface of the teeth and working to remove visible stains, your dentist is cleaning deep below the gum line.
In addition to cleaning your teeth and gums, these appointments are used by your dentist to monitor your periodontal disease. While your dentist is cleaning your teeth and gums, he or she will use a small handheld tool to measure the size of the pockets of your gums. If the pockets appear to be getting deeper further treatment, such as surgery, may be needed to reduce their size.
How Often Do You Schedule Periodontal Maintenance Appointments?
How often you need to go in for periodontal maintenance appointments varies depending upon the severity of your periodontal disease. The recommended amount of time to wait in between appointments is three to four months.
It is important that you do not wait more than four months to go in for periodontal maintenance. Studies have shown that it takes 90 to 120 days for the bacteria that develops and accumulates in the deep pockets along the gums can start to grow and spread. Scheduling an appointment for periodontal maintenance every three to four months allows those deep pockets to get properly cleaned and prevents the bacteria from growing and spreading.
If you do not follow through with scheduling regular periodontal maintenance appointments, you will likely develop severe periodontal disease. When this happens you will have to undergo scaling and root planning again and you may even need periodontal surgery.
How Long Will You Have to Keep Undergoing Periodontal Maintenance?
Periodontal maintenance will need to be performed every three to four months for the rest of your life. This is the only way to control periodontal disease and keep your teeth and gums healthy.
Create a Customized Periodontal Disease Treatment Plan
Vero VIP Implants & Periodontics offers a wide variety of dental services that are designed to properly diagnose and treat periodontal disease. If you haven’t developed periodontal disease but are at risk of developing it, Vero VIP Implants & Periodontics offers a variety of services that are aimed at preventing periodontal disease.
Call Vero VIP Implants & Periodontics to schedule a consultation with our experienced periodontist to see how we can help improve the health of your teeth and gums. We look forward to welcoming you to our office and helping you improve your oral health.