Periodontal Maintenance
Spokane, WA
Are you the best dental patient ever? Do you brush and floss your teeth regularly like you are supposed to? Do you see us for checkups? So far, you are ticking all of the boxes, and following the rules. We have to ask, while you have your regular maintenance complete, have you given a thought to your gums? It may be that your gums may need periodontal maintenance, depending on your teeth’s health. Do you know what periodontal maintenance is? If not, give Smile More Spokane Family Dentistry a chance to tell you about periodontal maintenance.
What is Periodontal Maintenance?
Periodontal has to do with your gums. When we do periodontal maintenance, we are focused on the health of your gums, and whether or not they are healthy. We have to do that if we are concerned about periodontal disease in your mouth. Gum disease is caused by bacteria. You have bacteria in your mouth all the time, but if you brush or floss regularly, you can keep the bacteria at bay. However, if the bacteria stays on your gums, it is possible you could get gum disease.
Gum disease, also called periodontal disease, is easy to treat at the beginning. You may notice you have bleeding gums, and they might be irritated or inflamed. We can take care of that before it gets worse, and you won’t have any permanent damage. However, if your gum disease progresses beyond the first stage, you will have pockets of infection. The second and third stages of periodontal disease, called periodontitis, is serious. In stages two and three, you will have to have procedures to clear out the infection. You will also need to get your gums checked more regularly.
Why Do I Need Periodontal Maintenance?
If you have periodontitis, you must get regular periodontal maintenance. If you are in stage two and three of periodontal disease, you will have to have your gums cleaned deeply. It is a procedure called scaling and root planing, which cleans the infection from your gums. Although we can get the infection cleared up, you will still need to undergo special cleaning. Periodontal maintenance is that special cleaning.
You need periodontal maintenance because with second and third stage periodontal disease, you develop pockets between your teeth and gums. Those pockets cannot be cured, and over time, bacteria, tartar, and food can build up in those spaces. They have to be cleaned out to keep your gums as healthy as possible. Every treatment period is different, but in general, patients who need periodontal maintenance need to come in every two to four months.
Some of our patients worry that periodontal maintenance is painful. We don’t want you to worry. We want you to be comfortable during your procedure. Talk to us about ways we can make sure you are comfortable and pain-free during the procedure. If you have questions about periodontal maintenance, Smile More Spokane Family Dentistry can help. Give us a call at (509) 505-6303. We are ready to talk to you about the importance of periodontal maintenance. |
