Once you’ve been diagnosed with and treated for periodontal disease, periodontal maintenance procedures, or Supportive Periodontal Therapy (SPT), enables you to gain control of the disease and increases your chances of keeping your natural teeth. It’s your protection.
Periodontal maintenance or SPT is specialized treatment to protect a foundation for good oral health- the gums and bone that support your teeth. This treatment is different from just traditional six-month cleanings from your general dentist, which help to protect the health of your teeth.
During a periodonatal maintenance visit, your dentist or periodontist updates your medical and dental histories to note any factors that may influence your periodontal health and treatment effectiveness. In addition to a dental examination, a thorough periodontal evaluation is performed including:
- A comprehensive assessment of your probing depths, which assesses the health of the attachment between your teeth, bone and gums
- An oral cancer screening of your inner and outer oral tissues; and
- Xrays may be taken to evaluate your teeth and bone supporting the teeth
Harmful, bacterial plaque and calculus are then removed from above and below the gum line. If necessary, a detailed, non-surgical treatment called root planing is used to smooth root surfaces that may be particularly infected.
During this visit, your dentist, dental hygienist, or periodontist also will review your at-home oral hygiene routine and may suggest modifications tailored for your condition. If new or recurrent periodontal disease is identified during a SPT visit additional periodontal treatment may be recommended.
Finding and treating new or recurrent infections as early as possible ensures that you will obtain your very best result from treatment. This is why SPTs are so important and why the standard of care for SPT visits is EVERY THREEE MONTHS, and yes, it does continue for every year of life.
How will I benefit from SPT?
Periodontal disease is similar to other chronic diseases, such as diabetes. The key to control is early diagnosis and prompt treatment.
SPT is a way for you to protect your oral health. This regular treatment helps to prevent or minimize the recurrence and progression of periodontal disease. If the disease returns, careful monitoring increases the likelihood of locating and treating it in a timely manner- before tooth threatening bone loss becomes uncontrollable.
Protecting your periodontal health brings a lifetime of benefits. You keep dental costs down by preventing future problems. You smile, speak and eat with comfort and confidence. More importantly, research links periodontal infection to more serious health problems, such as cardiovascular disease and pre-term, low birth weight babies. As accumulating research continues to define how periodontal disease is linked to these and other health problems, oral health maintenance becomes more and more essential. As you can see, gum disease is more than just gums. A commitment to SPT is a commitment to better health.
How often will I need SPT?
The answer to this question varies from person to person. Your dentist or periodontist will tailor a schedule that best helps to protect your periodontal health. The intervals between SPT visits may range from every few weeks to four times per year, in addition to check ups by your general dentist.
Factors that will influence the frequency of your SPT visits.
- Risk factors such as genetics, stress or tobacco use
- Severity of periodontal disease and bone loss at the time of initial treatment
- Overall general health
- At-home oral hygiene
At each SPT visit, your dentist and periodontist will monitor your disease progression and treatment effectiveness, and may increase or decrease the frequency or your treatment schedule accordingly.
As always, your periodontist will be happy to answer any questions you may have about periodontal maintenance procedures in the privacy of your next visit. You may also wish to visit The American Academy of Periodontology’s Web site at www.perio.org.
The American Academy of Periodontology is the organization of periodontists. A periodontist is a dental specialists in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting the gums and bone that support the teeth and in placement and maintenance of dental implants. Periodontists have two to three years additional training beyond dental school to focus on these areas.
Periodontal health is connected to overall health. As your health care needs change throughout your life, during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause, your oral care needs may change too. Hormonal fluctuations during these times may affect your gum tissue and the underlying bone that supports your teeth. These changes may increase your susceptibility to periodontal disease and require you to take special care of your oral health.