Once gum disease has progressed beyond its early stages, it starts to do damage that can’t be reversed. And the more gum disease progresses, the fewer options you’ll have for treating it minimally invasive procedures. Periodontal maintenance can get your oral health back on track and can help stop the damage from gum disease from spreading. Take a look at periodontal maintenance and learn how it can help preserve the health of your teeth and gums.
Why’s Periodontal Maintenance Recommended?
A regular tooth cleaning procedure can typically help a person maintain control over a mouth that has gum disease in its early stages, which is known as gingivitis. During the procedure, the dentist or hygienists methodically scales hardened tartar from the visible surfaces of teeth. And for most people, having this done a couple of times a year is all they need. For others, those with advanced gum disease, a more intensive cleaning regimen is needed.
Periodontal maintenance is a treatment plan that entails several deep cleaning sessions annually. It’s recommended once a person’s gingivitis turns into periodontitis, advanced gum disease. It helps reduce or eliminate the pockets of space that form between the gums and then teeth as a result of gum disease. Left untreated, the gums will recede, bone will deteriorate and the teeth will loosen.
What Does Periodontal Maintenance Entail?
Take a look at the elements of a deep cleaning, also known as scaling and root planing:
Scaling – after your mouth has been numbed by a local anesthetic, your dentist will carefully pull back your gums to access the areas of your teeth that lie below the gum line. The dentist will carefully scale the tartar built up on the sides and roots of teeth.
Root planing – after the teeth have been scaled, the dentist will smooth them over in order to help the gums reattach uniformly and to reduce the bacterial pockets that form between the gums and teeth.
Talk with a Periodontist in Chicago, IL
Take a brief moment to schedule an appointment with a periodontist in Chicago, IL to find out how you can improve the health of your teeth and gums.