Periodontal Maintenance Our team at Del Mar Dental recommends periodontal maintenance as an ongoing treatment for later-stage periodontitis. It is a severe gum infection that causes damage to the soft tissue and can destroy the bone that supports teeth. Usually, periodontitis can be reversed by good oral hygiene, but in serious cases where gums have receded, and teeth come loose in their sockets, specialized cleaning must be used regularly to keep the disease under control and help maintain oral hygiene. This specialized maintenance must also be done after periodontal surgery or root planing to make sure the disease does not complicate the healing process. Indeed, the effectiveness of your periodontitis treatment depends on how well and how often you keep to your periodontal maintenance. What Happens in Periodontal Maintenance?Periodontal maintenance predominantly involves removing plaque, debris, and tartar above and below the gumline by using a scaling tool to scale every affected tooth. This includes all the gaps between the roots, gums, and bone. It also helps us keep an eye out for any new or persisting complications or inflammation that needs to be dealt with. Also, this will help us monitor your oral health and recommend whatever change your daily cleaning regimen may require. Please bear in mind that the cleaning involved in periodontal maintenance is more extensive than a regular cleaning, or prophylaxis. This is because in prophylaxis, only visible parts of the teeth are cleaned above and a little below the gumline. With periodontal maintenance, there is scaling and root planing that is performed much deeper below the gumline, to any areas of the covered tooth and soft tissue where there may be bacterial activity. Periodontal maintenance is usually done every three months to discourage plaque and bacterial growth. This schedule may alter depending on how fast plaque and tartar accumulate with each patient and the state of their oral health. Usually pathogens will gather on plaque and, if not dealt with within three to 12 weeks, will completely take over the oral cavity and threaten mouth hygiene. Risks of Poor Periodontal MaintenanceThis is especially critical for affected patients because if their periodontitis has relapsed due to negligence to their oral hygiene, they could risk further damage to their gums and teeth, and may even need more drastic periodontal treatment to fix, such as surgery. The difference between periodontal maintenance and regular prophylaxis is crucial that for periodontitis patients, one cannot be replaced by the other. Periodontal maintenance must be done in the time frame we would recommend, or you may risk a relapse of periodontitis. With poor maintenance, it is possible for a sufferer to end up losing many of their natural teeth as the gums become unable to support them. Bacteria can also descend further down to the jawline and migrate to other vital areas of the body leading to serious infections. Our dental team provides effective periodontal maintenance service and can help develop a customized oral hygiene regimen for sufferers. Controlling the progression of the disease is possible, as is restoring a healthy smile. To find out more about our periodontal maintenance treatments, feel free to ask when you next book an appointment with us or call us, Del Mar Dental at (817) 710-2609 today! |
