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If you have been diagnosed as having periodontal disease. Your specific periodontal problems may be slight and localized, slight and generalized, moderate, or severe. You may be a new patient or a patient who has been receiving treatment by us for some time. Treatment may be simple or quite complex and arduous. If you have been receiving continuous, regular hygiene care by us, there may have been a change (for the worse) in the condition of your periodontium (gums and supporting bone structure) or you may have had existing pockets that have not responded to conventional treatment. If you are a new patient, we are starting necessary treatment. Periodontal infection is site-specific and episodic: it can happen around teeth at any time.
Initial periodontal therapy, also known as soft tissue management, is an aggressive yet the most conservative method of treating periodontal (gum) disease. It is not periodontal surgery. It is done to attempt to minimize or eliminate the need for periodontal surgery. Initial periodontal therapy involves a thorough root planing of all infected areas. The root planing is designed to remove the toxins produced by the bacteria in plaque.
When initial periodontal therapy is coupled with an oral self-care regimen of brushing, flossing, and use of periodontal cleaning aids as instructed, the results can be dramatic! You have a great deal of the responsibility and can affect the outcome of treatment. Oral self-care instructions will need to be followed carefully; otherwise, what
we do for you at our office can all too easily be undone at home.
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You have been given other written information about procedures that will be performed, such as sub gingival irrigation. Other procedures may be required, but we will discuss these with you before we do them.
What dentistry believes is true about periodontal disease this year is very different from what it considered fact several years ago. We now know that periodontal disease is not caused by one organism. It is caused by many different organisms that can be active and inactive during different periods of the disease process. We know you will not experience symptoms until bone destruction is advanced. This disease does not hurt until advanced stages. As research continues and dentistry learns new facts about the beginning and progression of periodontal disease, the treatment recommended and provided by the dentist and/or periodontist will change. You will particularly notice this if you have been treated for this disease in the past, either here or elsewhere. New discoveries, new treatments, and new medications will continue to change the way we treat this disease process. Some people may still think that correct procedure to maintain periodontal health is to get your teeth cleaned only twice a year. That hasn't been the case for 20 years. We now know that periodontal disease is an infection that affects about 95 of 100 adults. It can occur in bursts of activity and can cause profound bone loss.
We promote oral health for all of our patients. However, every patient is different. The treatment you need will differ from that of another. The fact is that our goal for you is to prevent both tooth decay and periodontal disease. |
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