Periodontal Maintenance Specialist
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Gulf Coast Periodontics & Implants
Periodontics & Implant Dentistry located in Gulfport, MS now serving patients in Biloxi, Ocean Springs, Long Beach, Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian, MS
After you have periodontal disease treatment to restore your oral health, it’s important to take the right steps to stay healthy. That’s where periodontal maintenance at Gulf Coast Periodontics & Implants comes in. In their well-equipped office in Gulfport, Mississippi, all of the treatments you need to avoid another bout of periodontal disease are offered. Call the office to book an appointment now!
Periodontal Maintenance Q&A
What is periodontal maintenance?
Periodontal maintenance is meticulous teeth cleaning that goes beyond the standard teeth cleaning procedure. With periodontal maintenance, your highly trained dental hygienist uses advanced protocols to disinfect your mouth and identify any potential issues.
What happens during periodontal maintenance?
During periodontal maintenance, your hygienist thoroughly cleans your teeth, tooth roots, permanent restorations like dental implants (if you have them), and your gums. They may use special antiseptic solutions to flush your gum pockets, and may apply topical antibiotics if necessary.
Gum pocket measurements and digital X-rays are commonly a part of your periodontal maintenance, as these tests can monitor changes very effectively.
Periodontal maintenance is both preventive care and treatment, so your specific care may vary from one appointment to the next based on your particular needs.
How is periodontal maintenance different from regular teeth cleanings?
Routine teeth cleanings are for people with no history of periodontal disease. Ordinarily, you have routine teeth cleanings every six months to maintain good oral health. After you're diagnosed with periodontal disease, however, your needs change.
The first step after your diagnosis is periodontal disease treatments, which commonly include:
- Scaling and root planing (deep dental cleaning)
- LANAP®
- Bone grafting
- Dental implants
Periodontal maintenance is the follow-up to those procedures. After restoring your oral health through one or more of these procedures, keeping periodontal disease at bay is a joint effort between you, your dentist and your specialists at Gulf Coast Periodontics & Implants.
How often do I need periodontal maintenance?
The frequency of your periodontal maintenance appointments can vary with your history of disease and degree of severity. In general, however, most people need periodontal maintenance appointments every 3-4 months.
If periodontal disease isn’t treated, your problems can go beyond gum recession and tooth loss. The infection can work its way inward, causing systemic illness.
Studies show an association between periodontal disease and heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis, and it may also play a role in other bodywide diseases.
Keeping up with your periodontal maintenance appointments can help you to take the right steps to remain healthy after your initial treatment.
Learn more about how periodontal maintenance can preserve your oral health — and maybe even save your life — by calling Gulf Coast Periodontics & Implants.
