Periodontal Maintenance 

Supportive Periodontal Care

Once Dr. Noraian completes the active phase of your periodontal treatment, your periodontal disease will be under control and he will provide you with a personalized maintenance program of care to keep your gums healthy.

Periodontal maintenance therapy is an ongoing program designed to prevent disease in the gum tissues and bone supporting your teeth. Adherence to a program of conscientious home oral care, regularly scheduled maintenance therapy, and visits to your dentist and Dr. Noraian will give you an excellent chance of keeping your teeth for a lifetime.

Why is supportive periodontal care important?

As this website has already mentioned, when you are susceptible to gum disease it is important to control as many of the contributing factors as possible. One of the main causes of gum disease is a bacterial plaque, a sticky, colorless film that constantly forms on your teeth.

The bacteria in this plaque produce toxins, or poisons, which constantly attack your gums and teeth. Unless you remove the plaque through proper oral care by brushing daily and flossing, it hardens into a rough, porous deposit called calculus, or tartar. Daily brushing and flossing will help minimize the formation of calculus, but it does not completely prevent it.

No matter how careful you are in cleaning your teeth and gums, bacterial plaque can cause a recurrence of gum disease from two to four months after your last professional cleaning. Therefore, a dental professional must check for hidden problems and remove the hardened plaque at time intervals appropriate for you to keep your teeth and gums healthy.

Who should perform supportive periodontal therapy?

The answer depends on you and the severity of your gum disease before treatment. Generally, the more severe your periodontal disease is initially, the more often Dr. Noraian will need to oversee your care. Together, you, your general dentist, and Dr. Noraian will work out the most effective schedule for your supportive periodontal care.

Your maintenance/supportive periodontal care visit may include:

• discussion of any changes in your health history
• examination of your mouth tissues for abnormal changes
• measurement of the depth of pockets around your teeth
• assessment of your oral hygiene habits and provision of instruction
• removal of bacterial plaque and tartar
• x-ray film studies to evaluate your teeth and the bone supporting your teeth
• examination of your teeth for decay and other dental problems
• checkup on the way your teeth fit together when you bite
• application or prescription of medications to reduce tooth sensitivity or other problems you may have.

How often should you have supportive periodontal care visits?

Your periodontal condition is the deciding factor. The interval between your supportive periodontal care (SPC) visits might range from every few weeks to every six months. Your situation will be different from another person’s situation.

It is quite common that you will need your teeth cleaned every three months if you have had a diagnosis of periodontal disease. The bacteria responsible for periodontal disease repopulate the periodontal pockets after three months. The frequency of your supportive care visits will be influenced by:

• the type of periodontal disease you have
• the type of periodontal treatment you are given
• your response to treatment
• your rate of plaque growth
• your personal commitment to good oral care at home

What is the relationship between your dentist and Dr. Noraian?

Your dentist and Dr. Noraian work together as a team to provide you with the best possible care. They combine their experience to formulate the best maintenance plan for you. They keep each other informed about your progress.

Although Dr. Noraian may see you periodically for maintenance therapy, you still need to see your general dentist as well. Appointments for periodontal maintenance do not replace regular dental checkups. If Dr. Noraian detects tooth decay during a maintenance visit, he will refer you to your general dentist for treatment.

Your general dentist is primarily responsible for your overall dental health, including such dental needs as filling new or recurrent cavities or making changes in fillings, crowns, or bridges. On occasion, patients have asked Dr. Noraian to provide all of their periodontal maintenance visits, which is really not his preferred way to practice, so he encourages you to have an alternating relationship with your general dentist.

Dr. Noraian encourages you to carefully and conscientiously follow the guidelines of the maintenance program that he provides to prevent periodontal disease and to help keep your natural teeth for a lifetime. Protecting your periodontal health through preventative maintenance has great benefits for you. You will have the ability to chew with more comfort, and you will smile and speak with greater confidence. You will be able to keep dental costs down by preventing future problems. A commitment to maintenance therapy is a commitment to better oral health.