Periodontal disease is the process of losing bone around your teeth due to inflammation. This inflammation can be caused by various reasons, including genetics, diet, health issues including diabetes, plaque and tartar, and smoking. If you have the onset of periodontal disease, you will need to see a dentist to help slow and pause the progression of bone loss.
Did you know that periodontal disease affects half of all Americans above 30 and 70% of adults over 65? Over half the teeth removed in the US are due to advanced periodontal disease. Our office focuses heavily on providing our patients with comprehensive care, and periodontal therapy is the main focus of our treatment plans.
Periodontal Screenings
When a patient comes to our office for a complete exam, we conduct a full periodontal screening. This involves measuring the depth of the gingival pockets. 1-3mm is a healthy depth, 4-5mm may require some deep cleaning, and 6+mm will require deep cleaning and may require future surgery or additional therapies to correct.
If a patient has pocket depths above 3mm, we may plan on a deep cleaning to remove the tartar and smooth the root surfaces of the teeth to promote healing. Suppose we find that this patient has bone loss and the higher pocket depths are not a result of gingival overgrowth. This patient has periodontitis, and we will recommend a periodontal cleaning regimen. This periodontal cleaning is known in dentistry as periodontal maintenance.
Periodontal Maintenance
Periodontal Maintenance may be more frequent than cleanings for healthy adult patients. Therefore, we recommend that patients with active periodontal disease be seen every three months for periodontal maintenance. This will help to minimize tartar, plaque, and inflammation, which will, in turn, decrease active bone loss in these patients.
Once you have periodontitis, you are a periodontal patient for life. Regular maintenance and excellent home care can help decrease the risks of periodontal disease, but there is always the potential that inflammation and bone loss can return.
If you believe that you have periodontal disease, our Cedarwood Dentistry team can help you care for and maintain your periodontal health. Make an appointment today for a comprehensive exam and complete assessment of your periodontal health!
