| |
|
|
 |
Periodontal
Therapy 
Non Surgical Treatment
Periodontal
Maintenance |
|
| |
|
MAINTENANCE THERAPY
|
|
A personalized program of care is helpful in maintaining healthy gums. The key word is: maintenance. By exercising proper home care and having frequent periodontal maintenance treatments, you help to protect your periodontal health..
What is periodontal maintenance
therapy?
Since periodontal disease is a chronic condition, it is helpful to establish an ongoing program to maintain the improvements achieved during active treatment. The periodontal maintenance treatment intervals are best determined by your dentist and The Practice SF and can range from two to six times per year. For patients with a significant amount of periodontal disease, the ADA, the
AAP,
and The Practice SF recommend visits every 3 months. These sessions are designed to preserve the healthy state of your gums and stabilize your bone levels. Ongoing treatment success is based on your conscientious home care and the professional treatments you receive from your dentist and The Practice SF.
Why is periodontal maintenance
therapy important?
Daily oral hygiene will not insure that the bacterial plaque will not return to do damage to your gums and bone. Even with the best of flossing and brushing, and using a host of oral hygiene aids, dental plaque continues to mature in the hard-to-reach places. This can happen in 8 to 12 weeks. That's why we often recommend that after you complete periodontal treatment, we schedule maintenance sessions every three months.
Who should perform periodontal maintenance
care?
Based on the severity of your problem, the responsibility for the periodontal maintenance will be worked out between you, your dentist, and The Practice SF..
What is done during a periodontal
maintenance session?
• We examine your mouth tissues for abnormal changes
• We discuss and changes in your systemic health
• We measure pockets, noting any changes
• We evaluate your oral hygiene and offer suggestions on how to improve it
• We clean your teeth to remove bacterial plaque and calculus (tartar)
• We may take X-rays to evaluate the teeth and supporting bone
• We check your teeth for caries (dental decay)
• We check the bite (the way the teeth fit together)
• We dispense appropriate recommendations for any problems
What's the relationship between
my general dentist and periodontist?
Your dentist and The Practice SF form a team that focuses on all aspects of your oral health. We may see you periodically for periodontal maintenance therapy, but you always need to see your general dentist as well.
Periodontal maintenance treatments are not meant to take the place of regular dental check-ups. Your dentist is primarily responsible for your overall dental health. He/she will examine - and repair - carious lesions (dental decay), change fillings, make new crowns or bridges, perform cosmetic dentistry, and whiten or bleach your teeth. Your dentist will make appropriate referrals to other dental specialists when needed, and in general, act as the quarterback of your dental team. |
|
| |
|
|
