Periodontal Maintenance and Care A periodontal maintenance appointment is a dental visit whereby the main priority is ensuring the health of your gums. Although the maintenance program for periodontitis often involves scaling and root planing, there may be other procedures. Scaling and root planing procedures allow our dentist at The OC Smiles Family Dental to conduct deep cleaning of the areas of the teeth closest to the gingival tissue, including the gums themselves. Our dentist removes any and all bacteria as well as diseased tissue that could be present on the gums and within the gum line.When to Have Periodontal MaintenanceDentists recommend that each person schedules a periodontal maintenance visit at least once every year in order to maintain clean gums. Good dental hygiene and regular dental cleanings can only do so greatly to eliminate bacteria within the gums. Anyone who struggles with periodontal disease symptoms such as swollen, tender, bleeding gums or discolored and receding gums should come in for scaling and root planing in our office. If you recently had periodontal disease treatment, then you will be placed on a periodontal maintenance program. Periodontal Maintenance ProcedureEvery three or four months, you will check in to our office for periodontal maintenance care. The appointment involves x-rays that offer a comprehensive view of mouth structures, including the bone and gums to show the level of recession. The x-rays help catch problem areas in the gums and bones that require further attention. We will clean the areas above the gum line, a process known as supragingival cleaning. Additionally, we clean the areas underneath the gum line, in what is called subgingival cleaning. Root planing is performed to help even out the surfaces of the roots and remove the surfaces that harbor bacterial plaque such as the rough areas and dents. By evening out the surfaces, it ensures that there are no hiding areas for bacteria. We place the antibiotic medication in the gingival pockets to eliminate bacteria and ensure comfort during the healing of the gingival pockets. Importance of Periodontal MaintenanceHaving periodontal maintenance helps maintain clean gums. It helps prevent tooth loss, which may happen when periodontal disease reoccurs after treatment. By eliminating bacteria and plaque, we stop periodontal disease from developing again. Moreover, cleaning the mouth removes tartar, which when left to develop, leads to problems such as decay and an unsightly look of the teeth. Tartar causes the teeth to stain. Through periodontal maintenance, we are able to get rid of the yellow stains and improve your smile. Moreover, bacteria accumulating in gum pockets can penetrate to the blood vessels where they travel in the blood to attack other organs or tissues in the body. The periodontal care program helps prevent such attacks. This way, we can help prevent chronic diseases such as cancer, stroke, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. If you are looking to have a healthy and time-honored oral and periodontal care practice, you can count on us. Contact our periodontal maintenance team at The OC Smiles Family Dental or call us at (971) 447-0093 to set up an appointment. |
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