Periodontal Maintenance
Fountain Valley, CA
 Periodontal disease is a serious oral health condition that can also have several significant effects on your overall health. It begins as a result of a bacterial infection. Bacteria irritate your gums, which then leads to inflammation. Red, swollen gums are the earliest symptoms, but these symptoms often go unnoticed. As a result, the condition continues to worsen. The gums pull away from your teeth, leading to the formation of periodontal pockets. Bacteria fall into these pockets, where they continue to attack your gums, your periodontal ligaments, and your jawbone. Pockets grow deeper, the stability of your teeth becomes compromised, and you may even experience tooth loss. Treatment is essential for stopping the progression of periodontal disease. Bijan Family Dental Practice can help your mouth further to heal with periodontal maintenance.
Scaling and Root Planing
Scaling and root planing is a common treatment combination for periodontal disease. This particular treatment is like a deep cleaning for your teeth. We clean all of the surfaces of your teeth both above and below the gum line. Scaling is the process of cleaning the visible surfaces of your teeth, including along and just under the gum line. We focus on scraping away plaque and bacteria from all of these surfaces using a specialized scaler. We are also able to eliminate plaque that has hardened into tartar, a substance that cannot be removed no matter how often you brush and floss.
Root planing is the process in which we clean the root surfaces of your teeth. Using small, specialized tools, we smooth these surfaces, eliminating plaque, bacteria, and other toxins. By smoothing the surfaces of your teeth, we help to prevent new bacteria from adhering. After root planing, we provide an antibacterial rinse that helps to kill off any bacteria that might still be hanging around.
Periodontal Maintenance
In many cases, scaling and root planing can provide your mouth with the treatment it needs to begin healing. After your 6 to 8-week follow-up, we will recommend you for periodontal maintenance. Periodontal maintenance is a treatment that involves a series of regularly scheduled appointments. During these appointments, we look over your mouth to assess buildup, measure periodontal pockets, and assess your gum tissue. We may also take dental X-rays to look over the hidden areas of your teeth below the gum line. After examining your teeth, we then clean them, eliminating any buildup that may have accumulated since your previous appointment.
The frequency of periodontal maintenance visits varies from patient to patient. It depends upon your unique situation. Some patients require visits as often as every two months. Other patients can go as long as six months between visits. Based on your mouth, we can custom tailor an appointment schedule to provide you with the best results possible.
What Are the Benefits of Periodontal Maintenance?
Periodontal maintenance provides numerous benefits. These benefits include
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Effective teeth cleaning. During your appointments, we can remove all buildup from all surfaces of your teeth that have accumulated between visits. This helps to alleviate irritation and inflammation of your gum tissue.
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The progression of periodontal disease is slowed and stopped. This helps to prevent more serious consequences of periodontal disease, including gum recession and tooth loss.
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Giving your gums an opportunity to heal. With irritation and inflammation alleviated, your gums can reattach to your teeth, reforming a healthy, protective seal around your teeth. |
If your initial scaling and root planing, or other periodontal disease treatment, does not yield the desired results, periodontal maintenance can help. For more information, and to find out if periodontal maintenance is right for you, call Bijan Family Dental Practice at (714) 421-4494 today.
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