Once periodontal treatment has been completed and the mouth has been returned to a state of health, it is critical to follow a regular program of periodontal maintenance. Periodontal disease, like many inflammatory diseases, is never cured but only controlled. These visits are different than routine cleaning appointments in that they are designed to assess and treat changes in the periodontal status on an ongoing basis. Multiple studies have shown that in the absence of proper maintenance care, disease will recur and progress often times without symptoms. For many individuals, an interval of 3 to 4 months has been found to be most effective. However, the interval visits will be determined based on your needs. These visits are frequently performed alternately between our office and your general dentist.
The same applies to dental implants. Proper care of your implants is important to their continued function and good health. While they are not subject to cavities as our natural teeth are, they can develop gum inflammation, and even infection and bone loss if not properly maintained. Whereas localized inflammation and infection around your teeth is known as periodontal disease, a similar process can occur around the implants and is known as peri-implantitis. We will show you the proper techniques for keeping your implants clean and the surrounding tissues healthy, however keep in mind that brushing and flossing are necessary! As for periodontal maintenance, dental implant maintenance should be performed to ensure that the surrounding gums and bone are maintained healthy. This also requires periodic x-rays to evaluate the level of bone around your implants. The restorations (crowns) attached to your implants will also require periodic checking by your dentist to verify that they are in good state and functioning properly.