What is Periodontal Therapy?
Non-surgical periodontal therapy consists of scaling and root planing the affected teeth by a registered dental hygienist with or without local anesthetic (numbing) depending on the extent of the disease. This procedure is also known as a “deep cleaning” and involves removal of microbiological pathogens hiding below the gums using specially designed instruments and devices. It is indicated when a patient is diagnosed with periodontal or gum disease and can be assigned to the entire mouth or localized areas of the mouth based on each patient’s comprehensive assessment. The patient is then scheduled more frequent maintenance appointments with our hygienist following completion of their initial periodontal therapy. This allows the hygienist to closely monitor healing and minimize any potential risk of re-infection and/or relapse of disease.
Why would you need Periodontal Therapy?
Periodontal disease is a chronic infection of the gums and bone and supporting structures of the teeth which requires initial treatment to arrest the infection followed by frequent, routine maintenance visits with a hygienist in order to stabilize the disease.
Risk factors for Periodontal Disease may include,but are not limited to, the following:
- Gingivitis
- Smoking or chewing tobacco
- Poor oral health habits
- Hormonal changes
- Recreational drug use (i.e. smoking marijuana or vaping)
- Obesity
- Inadequate nutrition
- Vitamin C deficiency
- Other underlying medical conditions
- Genetics
In addition to years of experience, our hygienists have taken extensive continuing education courses and are dedicated to the highest level of early and comprehensive treatment of periodontal disease.
When is it necessary to see a Periodontist?
At SCVR, we do everything we can to successfully treat your periodontal disease. However, on occasion, the disease progression extends beyond what our team can effectively treat. In these cases, we employ the assistance of Periodontist which is a dentist that has additional and specific training in treating periodontal disease in a surgical setting. We refer to several well-qualified and experienced Periodontists in the West Atlanta area and work closely with them in monitoring and co-treating our mutual patients.
