Maintenance
It only takes twenty four hours for plaque that is not removed from your teeth to turn into calculus (tartar)! Daily home cleaning helps control plaque and tartar formation, but those hard to reach areas will always need special attention.
Once your periodontal treatment has been completed, your dentist and dental hygienist will recommend that you have regular maintenance cleanings (periodontal cleanings), usually four times a year, alternating between regular scalings with the general dentist, and deeper cleanings with the periodontist. At these cleaning appointments, the pocket depths will be carefully checked to ensure that they are healthy. Plaque and calculus that is difficult for you to remove on a daily basis will be removed from above and below the gum line.
In addition to your periodontal cleaning and evaluation, your appointment will usually include:
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Examination of diagnostic x-rays (radiographs): Essential for detection of decay, tumors, cysts, and bone loss. X-rays also help determine tooth and root positions.
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Oral cancer screening: Check the face, neck, lips, tongue, throat, cheek tissues, and gums for any signs of oral cancer.
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Oral hygiene recommendations: Review and recommend oral hygiene aids as needed. (Electric toothbrushes, special periodontal brushes, fluorides, rinses, etc.)
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Teeth polishing: Remove stain and plaque that is not otherwise removed during tooth brushing and scaling.
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Fluoride treatment: Fluoride benefits people of all ages. For example,when children are young and their teeth are are still forming, fluoride works by making tooth enamel harder and more resistant to the acid that causes tooth decay. In fact, studies indicate that people who drink optimally fluoridated water from birth will expirience approximately 35 percent less decay over their lifetimes.
Good oral hygiene practices and periodontal cleanings are essential in maintaining dental health and keeping periodontal disease under control!
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