Periodontal Maintenance
The goal of periodontal maintenance is to prevent the recurrence of periodontal disease and to maintain the optimal level of oral health. The maintenance phase has long been established as the foundation of successful periodontal therapy.
What can you expect at your maintenance appointment?
- An update of your medical and dental health history. Special interest is given to any oral health issues that may become established from a systemic medical condition.
- A thorough oral and facial examination is completed
- A complete periodontal examination – at these appointments your pocket depths will be checked to make sure that they are healthy. In addition, a review of your current radiographs (x-rays) will be completed to detect any areas of bone loss, decay and irregularities.
- Oral hygiene review – a thorough overview of your oral home care routine to to indicate areas of the mouth that are overlooked, and require a change in your technique will be discussed. Special oral hygiene aids that can help you achieve optimal oral health will be recommended.
- Periodontal maintenance (periodontal cleanings) – including scaling, root planning, and polishing, and any other procedures depending on your clinical indications. Plaque and calculus (tarter) that is present will be treated and removed above and below the gum line.
Current dental research illustrates that maintenance therapy in conjunction with proper home care has been shown to be a key factor in treatment success and maintaining dental health.