Periodontal Disease Maintenance

Plaque can turn into tartar (calculus) in just 24 hours if it remains in your teeth! As a result, daily home cleaning is essential to stop plaque and tartar from forming, however, hard to reach places will require special attention.

Your dental hygienist and dentist will recommend that your have four periodontal cleanings (maintenance cleanings) a year after periodontal treatment is completed. These cleaning appointments consist of checking pocket depths to make sure that they are healthy and removing any plaque and tartar that difficult for you to remove on your own.

In addition to a periodontal evaluation and cleaning, your maintenance appointment will also involve:

• Examination of tooth decay: Inspect all tooth surfaces for decay.
• Examination of existing restorations: Check current crowns, fillings, etc.
• Examination of radiographs (diagnostic x-rays): Important for the detection of tumors, decay, bone loss, and cysts. They also help determine root and tooth positions.
• Oral cancer screening: Inspect the neck, face, lips, throat, tongue, gums, and cheek tissues for signs of oral cancer.
• Teeth polishing: All plaque and stains that couldn’t be reached by brushing or scaling is removed.
• Oral hygiene recommendations: Oral hygiene aids are recommended and may include electric toothbrushes, rinses, fluorides, periodontal brushes, etc.

Keep periodontal disease under control and maintain great oral health by practicing good dental hygiene and getting regular periodontal cleanings!