The Journal of Dental Health recommends periodontitis patients revisit their periodontist for periodontal maintenance every three months. This three-month time frame has been proven effective in keeping the progression of periodontal disease at bay.
Therefore, we recommend that you maintain a 3 month Periodontal Maintenance Schedule, so the hygienist can access deeper pocket areas and disrupt the bacteria so that they do not continue to multiply and cause increases in pocket depth and additional bone loss which results in loose teeth or even tooth loss.
Follow-up patients who have received active periodontal therapy are appropriately reported using the periodontal maintenance code.” The actual ADA code book reads, periodontal maintenance will be completed following active periodontal therapy “for the life of the dentition.” It is safe to assume once a periodontal ...
Scaling and root planing helps the pockets to shrink and gum tissue to heal. Medications may also be recommended to help control pain, infection, or to assist in healing. At the next appointment, the dentist will measure the depth of the pockets to determine the effect of the procedure.
No matter the cause, your gum tissue may not be gone for good. Your periodontist can regenerate healthy tissue to preserve your natural smile, but only during the earliest stages of gum disease. Don't wait to schedule an appointment if you have signs of gum recession, such as: Bleeding after brushing or flossing.
It's never too late to seek treatment for gum disease, and the degree of treatment you require will depend on how advanced it is.
If you wonder if you can live with this disease, the answer is yes. In general, periodontal disease does not cause pain, which is one of the reasons it develops into a severe condition.
Periodontal disease damages the bone, which is not reversible. Once it starts, you will always have it. All levels of periodontitis require treatment by a dentist. A mild case can typically be managed by a general dentist using non-surgical treatments.
Typically, you will need to get periodontal cleanings every 3 months for the rest of your life to keep your gum disease under control, and as long as you get routine cleanings and maintain good oral hygiene, your condition won't get worse. However, you will never be fully healed.
If you have gingivitis or periodontitis, a typical cleaning won't be helpful. It can actually be harmful by allowing bacteria to remain trapped below your gums. That's where non-surgical gum treatment and non-surgical periodontal treatment (also known as scaling and root planing) come in.
Early to moderate periodontal disease can take about 2 to 3 weeks to heal. However, healing can only occur with the proper intervention such as scaling and root planing. For severe Periodontal disease, the recovery times do vary. For example, with the proper treatment, some patients can recover in 5 to 8 weeks.
You can have deep cleanings whenever it feels necessary. Still, make sure you have at least two dental cleanings per year. Deep cleanings are for patients with oral issues like gum disease and tooth decay every three months.
It's important to see a dentist right away if you ever suspect something is wrong with your gums. Both gingivitis and periodontitis can happen faster than you think. If you ever feel like your gums are tender, look red or swollen, or you're noticing pink on your floss or toothbrush, give us a call as soon as you can.
Slight Periodontal Disease
During the early gingivitis stages, gum inflammation can occur in as little as five days. Within two to three weeks, the signs of generalized gingivitis become more noticeable. If you still leave this untreated, it would progress to slight periodontal disease.
Only the first stage of gum disease, known as “gingivitis” can be reversed. After it progresses into the second stage (periodontitis), it's no longer possible to completely eliminate it.
It's never too late for gum grafting as long as the patient has sufficient gum tissue to harvest for the graft. However, the success rate of the procedure may be lower in cases where the patient has advanced gum disease or other underlying health issues that can affect the healing process.
Since periodontitis can do long-term damage to your gums, teeth, and jaw, the healing process for severe cases may take several months and may involve additional treatments like gum grafts.
The key to managing and living with periodontal disease is to ensure your teeth are kept clean and reduce gum irritation. Besides an increase in cleanings, there are also specialized cleaning methods used, depending on the extent of damage.
For example, patients with conditions that affect the efficiency of the immune system, such as diabetes, HIV, Down syndrome, leukemia, etc., can make periodontal disease worse. Those who smoke, use tobacco products, are malnourished, and/or are highly stressed are also at an increased risk.
At home, brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing daily will go a long way in preventing plaque buildup. Advanced gum disease, also called periodontal disease, cannot be reversed. However, our dentists are able to mitigate the damaging effects of periodontal disease through scaling and root planing.
Almost half, 47.2%, of all adults aged 30 years and older have some form of gum disease. Gum disease increases with age. 70.1% of adults 65 years and older have periodontal disease.
Gum disease can become a lifelong concern if it develops, but you can still lessen and control its effects with regular dental health care and maintenance.
The good news is, individuals who live with any stage of gum disease can almost always qualify for dental implants after undergoing certain treatments and procedures. Patients who live with mild to moderate cases of gum disease may simply have to bring the disease under control.