Periodontal Therapy

What is periodontal disease?

Periodontal disease is a process where harmful bacteria that live on plaque/calculus cause inflammation in the gum tissue and destroy the bone that supports your teeth. Inflammation of the gums is reversible, however bone loss is not.

When is treatment necessary?

Treatment is necessary when calculus is noted beneath the gum line and in-conjuction with radiographic or clinically measured bone loss (4mm pocket or deeper). Bone loss is a clear indicator that the disease process is or has been active. The doctor will make a decision on whether or not you are in need of scaling/root planing beneath your gum line. Without removal of the calculus, the disease process will continue.

Treatment for periodontal disease

Treatment involves numbing/anesthetizing the tissue and thorough cleaning of the root surfaces beneath the gum line. It is followed up with hygiene instructions (flossing, waterpik), a daily antibacterial mouth rinse, and an appointment for your periodontal maintenance in 3 months. It is imperative that you floss or use a waterpik daily to prevent the disease process from returning.

Follow-up care for periodontal disease

Patients will follow up 3 months after their scaling/root planing appointment to make sure there is minimal inflammation and all calculus was removed beneath the gumline. Thereafter your maintenance visits will be every 3-4 months to prevent the return of the disease.