PREVENTATIVE PROPHYLAXIS CLEANING (PROPHY)
VS
PERIODONTAL MAINTENANCE CLEANING
STUDIES DOCUMENT THAT 75%-90% OF ALL ADULT AMERICANS HAVE
SOME LEVEL OF GUM DISEASE, ALSO KNOWN AS PERIODONTAL DISEASE, GOING ON IN THEIR
MOUTHS. HAVE YOU BEEN TOLD THAT YOU NEED TO GET
YOUR TEETH CLEANED MORE THAN TWICE A YEAR BY A DENTAL PROFESSIONAL???
WHAT IS A PROPHYLAXIS
CLEANING?-THIS IS A PREVENTATIVE TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS WHO HAVE NO
LOSS OF ATTACHMENT OF GUM TISSUE TO THEIR TEETH, PERIODONTAL
POCKETS ARE NO MORE THAN 3MM IN DEPTH, NO SWELLING OF GUM
TISSUE AND VERY LITTLE BLEEDING WHEN YOUR DENTIST OR HYGIENIST PROBES THE DEPTH
OF YOUR GUM TISSUE ATTACHMENT (POCKET).
WHEN YOUR DENTIST OR HYGIENIST CLEANS YOUR TEETH, THEY ARE
REMOVING PLAQUE AND TARTER BUILD ABOVE THE
GUM LINE. NEXT YOUR DENTIST OR HYGIENIST WILL POLISH AND FLOSS YOUR TEETH. THIS
TYPE OF TREATMENT IS USUALLY SUGGESTED TWICE A YEAR TO PREVENT
PERIODONTAL DISEASE.
WHAT IS A
PERIODONTAL MAINTENANCE CLEANING?-THIS TYPE CLEANING IS A TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS
WHO HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH PERIODONTAL
DISEASE AND HAVE HAD THERAPEUTIC SCALING & ROOT PLANING TREATMENT. THIS IS A NON-SURGICAL
APPROACH TO CONTROL YOUR
PERIODONTAL DISEASE. A PERIODONTAL
MAINTENANCE CLEANING IS VERY SIMILAR TO A PROPHY WITH ONE VERY IMPORTANT
DIFFERENCE, YOUR DENTIST OR HYGIENIST CLEANS YOUR TEETH, USING A TOPICAL ANESTHETIC
GEL, ABOVE AND BELOW THE GUM LINE.
YOUR DENTIST OR HYGIENIST WILL ALSO POLISH AND FLOSS YOUR TEETH.
WHAT IS
PERIODONTAL DISEASE?-PERIODONTAL DISEASE IS DEFINED AS A BACTERIAL
INFECTION. IT WORSENS WHEN CALCIUM DEPOSITS
FORM UNDER YOUR GUMS. YOUR GUMS WILL
BLEED EASILY AND THE GUM TISSUE WILL DETACH AWAY FROM YOUR TEETH. YOUR GUMS
WILL BE SWOLLEN AND MAY LOOK VERY RED AND IN SOME CASES MAGENTA OR EVEN PURPLE
IN COLOR, YOUR TEETH MAY BECOME LOOSE DUE TO BONE LOSS AS THE BACTERIA DESTROYS
THE BONE AND YOU MAY ALSO DEVELOP PERSISTENT BAD BREATH.
THE FIRST ACTION TO BE TAKEN ONCE YOU HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED IS TO HAVE A
PROCEDURE CALLED….
THERAPEUTIC SCALING
& ROOT PLANING (TRP/SRP). ROOT PLANING IS A PROCEDURE
WHICH SMOOTHS THE ROUGH AREAS ON THE ROOTS OF THE TEETH BELOW THE GUM
LINE. SCALING IS A PROCEDURE WHICH REMOVES PLAQUE, TARTER AND
STAINS FROM THE ENAMEL OF YOUR TEETH. A LOCAL ANESTHETIC IS USED FOR THIS
PROCEDURE. THIS PROCEDURE IS LIMITED TO
1 OR 2 QUADRANTS PER VISIT.
AFTER YOU HAVE HAD TRP/SRP YOUR FOLLOW-UP CARE IS TO HAVE
PERIODONTAL MAINTENANCE CLEANINGS EVERY 3-4 MONTHS INSTEAD OF THE A PREVENTATIVE PROPHYLAXIS CLEANING TWICE A YEAR.
THE BACTERIUM THAT CAUSES PERIODONTAL DISEASE RE-ESTABLISHES
IN 3- 4 MONTHS AFTER TREATMENT. A 3-4 MONTH RE-CARE VISIT IS CRITICALLY TIMED
TO DISRUPT THESE BACTERIA IN GUM POCKETS MEASURING GREATER THAN 3MM, THUS DISABLING THE DESTRUCTIVE PROCESS. WAITING LONGER THAN 3-4 MONTHS FOR YOUR
RE-CARE VISIT TYPICALLY RESULTS IN ADVANCED INFLAMMATION AND MAY REQUIRE MORE
AGGRESSIVE THERAPY OR SURGERY TO BRING THE CONDITION UNDER CONTROL AGAIN, OR
RISK TOOTH LOSS.
FOR PATIENTS WITH ADULT PERIODONTITIS, SUPPORTIVE 3-4 MONTH RE-CARE
IS NOT AN OPTION, RATHER A REQUIREMENT FOR SUCCESSFUL
THERAPY.
YOU MAY ASK: “EVEN IF I DON’T HAVE ANY SIGNS OF PERIODONTAL
DISEASE WHY SHOULDN'T I BE RECEIVING THIS EXTRA DEEP CLEANING TREATMENT?” THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE, YOUR GUMS ARE HEALTHY
AND ATTACHED TO THE BASE OF YOUR TEETH THEREFORE ITS NOT NEEDED.
YOU MAY ASK: “DOES
THIS TREATMENT TAKE LONGER TO PROVIDE?” 1 QUADRANT OF TRP/SPR MAY TAKE AS LONG AS A PREVENTATIVE PROPHYLAXIS CLEANING DOES.
YOU MAY ASK: WHY DOESN'T MY INSURANCE COVER THIS TREATMENT
AT 100% LIKE THEY COVER THE PREVENTATIVE PROPHYLAXIS CLEANING? THIS IS BECAUSE THE INSURANCE COMPANY IS
TREATING THIS TYPE OF CLEANING AS A PERIODONTAL THERAPY TREATMENT AND IT TAKES
THE PLACE OF A PREVENTATIVE PROPHYLAXIS CLEANING. PREVENTATIVE DENTAL SERVICES ARE TYPICALLY COVERED AT 100% WHERE AS DENTAL TREATMENT IS TYPICALLY COVERED AT 50%-80%.
YOUR PARTICIPATION COMPLETES YOUR
TREATMENT!!
· FOLLOW MY AT HOME PRESCRIPTION:
:
·
SWISH WITH A MEDICINAL RINSE TWICE A
DAY SUCH AS:
- HYDROGEN
PEROXIDE 3% (can be diluted with a little water)
- NON-ALCOHOL MOUTH WASH SUCH AS CREST PRO
HEALTH™ OR
COLGATE-PEROXIL™
- ALCOHOL MOUTH WASH SUCH AS LISTERINE™
- PRESCRIPTION RINSES
·
FLOSS
YOUR TEETH AT LEAST ONCE A DAY
·
BRUSH YOUR
TEETH AT LEAST TWICE A DAY (Hopefully more…after meals and snacks)
(USE A SONIC CARE™ OR
ORAL B-™ TYPE ELECTRIC
TOOTHBRUSH)
·
SWISH AGAIN
·
APPLY FLUORIDE: EITHER RINSE WITH A FLUORIDE LIQUID OR BRUSH
ON FLUORIDE GEL.
THERE IS NO CURE FOR PERIODONTAL DISEASE…BUT... IT CAN BE MANAGED AND CONTROLLED
IN MOST CASES WITH INCREASED TREATMENT AND IMPROVED HOME CARE.
IT IS EASY TO REMEMBER TO:
Swish, Floss, Brush and Swish again :)
PLEASE VISIT MY WEBSITE - roberthwaldmandds.com AND CLICK ON THE "DENTAL VIDEO" TAB TO LEARN ABOUT MANY DENTAL PROCEDURES.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO BLOG ABOUT A DENTAL ISSUE PLEASE CLICK ON THE "CONTACT/DIRECTIONS" TAB.
KEEP SMILING,
DR. ROB
