Periodontal Maintenance Seattle, WA
We understand, believe us. It is hard to keep your mouth clean in a dirty world. This is especially true when you are eating, drinking and smiling - exposing your teeth to all sorts of crazy stuff. It can be hard to keep your teeth clean. We enjoy trying, however. We are proponents of keeping your mouth as clean as possible. We worry about that because when your mouth isn’t healthy, your overall health can suffer.
One of the best ways that you can take care of your dental health and your overall health is to make sure your teeth and gums are clean - as clean as you can make them. Even if you haven’t had a healthy mouth in the past, we can help you get your mouth in better shape with periodontal maintenance. If you aren’t sure what periodontal maintenance is, let Queen Anne Family Dental take a minute to tell you about periodontal maintenance and why it’s so important.
There Are Three Kinds of Cleaning
Did you know that we do three different types of cleaning in our practice? We do. The first kind of cleaning is the traditional cleaning we do in our office all the time. It is called regular cleaning or prophylaxis. We use this cleaning to clean your teeth every six months. We use instruments and polishes to get rid of plaque and tartar. We also try and remove stains on your teeth as well. If you are lucky, you may only need this type of cleaning all your life.
If you have been diagnosed with gum disease, you will need to have a deeper cleaning. Gum disease is caused by bacteria. Many people have the beginning stages of gum disease, called gingivitis. Gingivitis causes bleeding and inflamed gums. We can treat this early stage of gum disease and cure it. If you have periodontal disease in the later stages, we can stop the infection from getting worse, but we can’t cure it. The damage to your gums is permanent at stages two and three.
What Does Periodontal Maintenance Mean?
To treat you for periodontal disease, we need to deep clean your gums. This deep cleaning is called scaling and root planing. We have to remove the bacteria and infection, as well as tartar deposits. While you can remove the plaque in your mouth through brushing and flossing, tartar is hardened plaque, which you can’t remove. We have to remove it with instruments. We need to remove it because the tartar is harboring bacteria. The deep cleaning involves your teeth, gums, and bone. Once we clean everything out, the goal is to keep it clean, which is where periodontal maintenance comes in.
Instead of the regular, twice-yearly cleanings, periodontal maintenance consists of deep cleanings. You need those deep cleanings because periodontal disease makes pockets between your teeth and gums. These pockets get filled up with pieces of food, bacteria, tartar, and infection. They need to be cleaned out regularly to keep your gums as healthy as possible. Unlike regular cleanings, you will have to have periodontal maintenance more often.
 Perio Protect
Our goal with Perio Protect is to put gum disease—gingivitis or periodontitis—into remission and prevent its reoccurrence. Perio Tray™ therapy from Perio Protect empowers you with effective, non-invasive homecare to complement the expert care provided by the dental team.
Are you worried about the health of your teeth and gums? If you are, give Queen Anne Family Dental a call at (206) 424-4450.
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