Protecting Your Oral Health

Congratulations! You’ve already
taken the first step towards good
oral health by pursuing active
periodontal therapy. You’re already
beginning to enjoy some of the
benefits of treatment- a healthy
mouth and a happy smile. Now that
you’ve made the commitment to
good oral health, it’s important for
you to protect it. Without careful,
ongoing monitoring and treatment,
periodontal disease can recur. Left
untreated, periodontal disease can
lead to bone and tooth loss. With
help from periodontists, dentists
who specialize in the prevention,
diagnosis and treatment of
periodontal disease, you have an
excellent chance of keeping your
teeth for a lifetime!

How do I protect my oral health?

Once you’ve been diagnosed with
and treated for periodontal disease,
regular periodontal maintenance
enables you to gain control of the
disease and increases your chances
of keeping your natural teeth.
Periodontal maintenance is a
specialized treatment to protect your
gums and the bone that supports
your teeth. This treatment is
different from traditional six-month
dental cleanings from your general
dentist, which also help to protect
the health of your teeth.

During a periodontal maintenance
visit, your periodontist updates your
dental and medical histories to note
any factors that may influence your
periodontal health. In addition to a
dental examination, a thorough
periodontal evaluation is performed,
which may include an assessment of

For more information, please Contact Dr. Howard Low, DDS
Peridontics and dental implant
specialist at (408) 746 - 3878

June 2010

your probing depths, oral cancer
screening, and x-rays to evaluate
the bone supporting your teeth.
Plaque and calculus are then
removed from above and below the
gum line, and your periodontist will
review your at-home oral hygiene
routine. If new or recurrent
periodontal disease is identified,
additional treatment may be
recommended.

How will I benefit from
periodontal maintenance?

Periodontal disease is similar to
other chronic diseases, such as
diabetes; the key to control is early
diagnosis and prompt treatment.
Periodontal maintenance is a way for
you to protect your oral health by
helping 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 mannerbefore
tooth-threatening bone loss
becomes uncontrollable.

Protecting your periodontal health
brings a lifetime of benefits. You
keep dental costs down by
preventing future visits. You smile,
speak, and eat with comfort and
confidence. More importantly,
research has linked periodontal
disease to other health problems
such as cardiovascular disease and
diabetes. As research continues to
define how periodontal disease is
linked to these and other health
problems, oral maintenance is
essential. As you can see, gum
disease is more than just gums; a
commitment to oral maintenance is
a commitment to better health!