Cleaning and Periodontal Therapy

Dental prophylaxis (cleaning) is the removal of plaque, bacteria, calculus, and extrinsic stains by a dental hygienist. This “regular” cleaning is not sub-gingival. This means will not go under your gums to clean out any build-up – which for the average, the healthy patient is not necessary. In our office, we’ll combine your regular cleanings (usually recommended every 6 months) with oral examinations by the dentist and updates on x-rays as needed. We also check the health of your gums and surrounding tissues at these visits, which take approximately one hour.

Sometimes regular prophylaxis just isn’t enough. A number of factors, such as oral hygiene practices at home, systemic diseases, genetics, and pregnancy, can cause periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is, simply, an infection of the gums due to the continued presence of harmful bacteria in the mouth. It can range from mild gingivitis, where the gums are inflamed due to the bacteria but no permanent damage has been done, to severe periodontitis, where you’ve likely already had significant loss of gum attachment, bone loss, and tooth loss from the present active infection.