If you have been diagnosed and treated for periodontal disease, Drs. Lepore and Dougherty at Lepore Comprehensive Dentistry in Dunedin, FL, will recommend periodontal maintenance therapy to keep the condition under control (maintained). Some crucial differences between this and routine dental cleaning are important to understand.
A routine dental cleaning (prophy) is designed for prevention. It is not therapeutic. Our practice also refers to it as “healthy mouth cleaning.” Its purpose is to help keep gum disease and tooth decay from developing. A healthy mouth cleaning typically takes place every six months. However, more frequent cleanings are beneficial.
Periodontal maintenance therapy is meant for treating patients who’ve already been diagnosed with periodontal (gum) disease to control and prevent it from worsening. This type of cleaning is typically recommended every three to four months for those who have undergone scaling and root planing, also called deep cleaning.
What Is A Periodontal Maintenance Cleaning?
A periodontal maintenance cleaning involves your dental hygienist performing a thorough cleaning above and below the gum line, removing harmful plaque and bacterial buildup that has occurred since your last visit. Soft, sticky plaque takes about 12 days to turn into the calculus that builds up above and below your gum tissue.
The benefits of a periodontal maintenance cleaning include fresher breath, plaque, and calculus removal, and a healthier-looking and feeling smile!
What Else Can You Do To Improve Your Oral Health?
Our philosophy at Lepore Comprehensive Dentistry is complete health. We are now offering:
- Salivary diagnostics
- Genetic testing
- Oral probiotics
- Oxygen therapy
Is There A Cure For Gum Disease?
The most crucial part of any periodontal therapy, such as deep cleaning, is the continued maintenance visits to prevent the disease from returning to an “active state.” It is often misunderstood that periodontal disease can be “cured.” It is often compared to diabetes. Both can be improved and maintained but never cured.
Missing regularly scheduled periodontal maintenance appointments can put you at risk for further bone loss, gum loss, and inflammation, not only in the mouth but the rest of your body. Drs. Lepore and Dougherty, alongside your dental hygienist, will work with you to create a maintenance schedule that best suits your unique needs.
