Periodontal Treatment
Periodontal (gum) disease is not curable - but it is controllable.
A Periodontal Therapy is a “conservative” (non surgical) program consisting of a
series of 2, 4, or 6 visits to control gum disease.
If you are diagnosed with periodontal disease; pockets (deeper or greater) than
3 mm with bleeding points upon non-traumatic toothpick probing; your dentist may
recommend a periodontal therapy program to control your disease. The severity of
the periodontal disease determines the length of your program. Our goal is to eliminate
bleeding and mouth odor, as well as reduce pocket depths to eliminate bacterial
re-infection.
Remember: Healthy gums never bleed!
Periodontal Therapy
The therapy consists of ultrasonic scaling (a device utilized for the removal of
calculus, stain, and bacterial toxins on teeth utilizing the principle of high frequency
vibration), hand scaling, root planning (smoothes roots) and curettage (removes
diseased tissue), and irrigation with antibiotics. Depending on the severity of
disease, we may recommend oral antibiotics, fluoride treatment, and antibacterial
rinses. Also, a home-care regimen of toothbrushing and flossing is instructed in
conjunction with other home-care devices (specific electric toothbrushes) which
may be required for continued health of your tissues.
We want your Periodontal Therapy to be a pleasant, comfortable, healthy and personally
rewarding experience. For your comfort, topical anesthetic and local anesthetic
are routinely used. As always, nitrous oxide, oral valium and tranquilizers are
available for your relaxation.
After therapy, your hygienist will see you for a periodontal maintenance visit to
evaluate the success of your Periodontal Therapy. Pocket depths and bleeding points
will be remeasured, checked, and treated as needed.
It takes six months to one year before new gum attachment fibers become mature and
more resistant to bacterial re-infection, therefore the doctor/hygienist recommends
a three month recall/continuing care interval so that your level of periodontal
health can be monitored and maintained. As your mouth continues healing, the interval
between hygiene appointments will be evaluated according to your individual progress
and the rate of calculus formation.
Your personal home care is the determining factor in the continued success of your
treatment. We will do our best to assist you in anyway necessary to have healthy
tissues surrounding your tooth for a lifetime.
