Periodontal Health Maintenance

The periodontal care appointment (PCA), or periodontal tooth cleaning, involves more than most people realize.  Many people look upon this visit  as the practice of having plaque, calculus, tartar, and stains removed from their teeth--a simple, routine procedure.

A PCA does remove hardened bacterial masses from the tooth. However, in a prevention-oriented periodontal  practice, such as Periodontal Associates, this visit is actually a gentle but also an intricate procedure. It helps prevent disease and allows us to concentrate on health care rather than sick care.

Gum disease is caused by bacteria that grow on the teeth at the edges of and underneath the gums. During a periodontal care appointment, we remove these bacteria around the full circumference of every tooth above and below the gum. 

Usually people think of teeth as being smooth and hard. But a look at the root surfaces through a microscope reveals tiny pits and crevices in which bacterial germs hide. To smooth the surface of the root and eliminate these hiding places, we use special instruments to perform a procedure called root therapy. This makes it easier for you to clean the bacteria from your teeth at home with your dental instruments...the toothbrush, floss, and toothpick.

As we concentrate our attention on each tooth in the mouth looking for decay, we are more importantly scrutinizing the health of your gum tissue. For it is the gum tissue which exhibits the tell-tale signs that bacterial colonies may be increasing in number and activity or that gum disease may be active.

Additionally, we polish your teeth to remove stains and to give them that clean, lustrous appearance. But again, what you don't see may be more important.

Finally, we irrigate medications beneath the gums to flush out bacteria and food debris while creating an aseptic environment allowing for healthy gums.

A periodontal care appointment--it's one of our most powerful weapons against dental disease. 

 

 

To schedule an appointment, or consultation, please contact our office today!