Periodontal Disease Maintenance Ann Arbor, MI
Periodontal disease maintenance is a dental cleaning procedure that we perform to thoroughly clean the patient's teeth and gums. Patients who have experienced persistent gum disease, or periodontitis, are sometimes asked to return for more frequent dental cleanings to halt the progression of periodontal disease. Through continued maintenance, Dr. Embree hopes to help the patient maintain healthy gingival tissue. Working with our professional hygienist at Everwell Dentistry, we can assist our patients in achieving and maintaining oral health.
What is Periodontal Disease?Periodontal disease sometimes referred to as gingivitis, is a bacterial infection that occurs when plaque, tartar or calculus has been allowed to remain in place. Bacteria found in plaque thrives, creating a colony that produces acids and can lead to serious inflammation and irritation. As the infection develops, it will produce a chronic inflammatory response in the body, leading to the decay of teeth and the destruction of tissue and bone. As an attempt to move away from the source of infection, your body will respond by receding the gum tissue, creating pockets between the teeth and gums. The recession of tissue does create space between the bacteria and gums but also pulls the gums away from your teeth. Once the patient has lost stabilizing tissue, the teeth can then shift, become unstable, or even completely fall out. The destruction can be considerable. Another negative side effect that is rarely discussed is that the bacteria can gain access to your bloodstream, leading to the infection of other areas of the body.
Dental cleanings, also called Prophylaxis, from a professional hygienist, such as ours at Everwell Dentistry, is an excellent way to help keep your teeth and gum tissue in good health, it can also halt the progression of gum disease or periodontitis.
Your Periodontal Maintenance AppointmentYour periodontal maintenance appointment will consist of the following steps:
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Removal of Tartar or Calculus: Tartar is plaque that has hardened in place. It can cause a serious periodontal infection if not removed.
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Supragingival Cleaning: We begin with cleaning above the gumline, removing plaque, tartar or calculus.
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Subgingival Cleaning: Some patients may require the removal of plaque from below the gumline. This is done through scaling. Using an ultrasonic scaler, we will blast away the material with a directed stream of the oxygenated bubble. Following this step, the hygienist will use a hand scaler to check for any missed plaque.
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Root Planing: This process is the smoothing of your roots. By smoothing the roots, we are doing two things, first, making it more difficult for bacteria to gather, and second, forcing a healing response from your body which will help your gums reattach to your teeth.
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Anti-Bacterial Medicine Application: Some patients may require, or benefit, from the application of an anti-bacterial cream in their gum pockets. |
Depending on your needs, we may ask to see you more frequently than the regular six-month cleaning appointment. This will be discussed with Dr. Embree.
Our staff is happy to assist you in scheduling an appointment or answering your questions. For more information on periodontal maintenance, gum disease, or gingivitis, contact Everwell Dentistry at our Ann Arbor office at (734) 973-0000.
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