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!
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.
