One of the most important steps in controlling periodontal disease comes after active treatment.  This is the maintenance phase of care, which includes practicing good home care and adhering to a regular re-care schedule.

Research has shown that patients who receive regular periodontal maintenance have a significantly better outlook for maintaining a healthy mouth.  During re-care appointments, a thorough cleaning is performed and problem areas are addressed.  By carefully monitoring a patient’s condition, we can stop small problems from becoming big ones.

The schedule for re-care depends on each patient’s individual condition.  Re-care appointments can be alternated between the general dental office and the periodontal office.

Six Reasons Why Adult Fluoride Treatments Are Essential

 If you think fluoride is only for kids, think again. Adults need fluoride treatments every bit as much as children, but for different reasons. One of the most devastating adult dental problems is root cavities. Once a root cavity gets started, it often means the beginning of the end of the tooth. And all adults are susceptible to root cavities because they tend to have some gum recession as they age. Many times the recession is so slight that it goes unnoticed. Patients as young as 40 years old have been known to lose teeth due to root cavities.

Root cavities can be treated, but they tend to recur again right under the filling or crown. That’s because root surfaces are 700 percent softer than the enamel portion of a tooth. Once roots are exposed through recession, they are much more vulnerable to decay.

Rather than wait for the inevitable, we take the proactive stance of giving our patients regular fluoride treatments, no matter their age. Fluoride is the best and ONLY prevention for root cavities. When applied properly after a thorough cleaning, fluoride provides an acid resistant surface on the tooth enamel as well as the exposed root surface. It also works by reversing or remineralizing early-forming cavities (white spots).

In addition to root cavity protection, fluoride treatments are very helpful in controlling tooth sensitivity (heat or cold). According to a recent study, this condition effects 25 percent of all adults at one time or another and may also be due to receding gums. Fluoride coats and insulates the teeth from heat and cold.

Besides protection against root cavities and tooth sensitivity, fluoride treatments are also helpful for:

• Overall cavity control—Fluoride helps prevent decay on both root and enamel surfaces at any age.
• Early gum disease control—Fluoride inhibits the bleeding and tender gums caused by bacteria in plaque.
• Advanced gum disease therapy—Fluoride helps to prolong the effects of treatment.
• Post-surgical healing—Fluoride controls oral bacteria and helps tissue heal at the surgical site.

As you can see, the benefits of fluoride are many and actually increase with age. That’s why we provide fluoride treatments at cleaning appointments for all our patients.