Your Role

No matter how successful the periodontal treatment has been, the patient plays the most important role in maintaining periodontal health. For maximum results, the patient must accept this role as a "co-therapist".

The first charge to the patient is to eliminate factors that increase susceptibility to periodontal disease. The prime culprit is smoking, which increases the odds of losing teeth by over 700 percent! Diabetic patients are also more susceptible, although this effect is negligible if the blood sugar remains stable. Healthy diets promote healing, but don't be misled by vitamin claims. Periodontal disease is NOT affected by high doses of Vitamin C or calcium supplements, if the patient has a normal diet.

The second responsibility of the patient is to maintain daily plaque control, with brushing, flossing and rubber tipping.  Brushing is easy for most of us, but flossing and rubber tipping  is more demanding. Most periodontal disease, however, starts between the teeth, where the brush can not reach. "Floss is Boss", and the time spent in learning proper technique will pay large dividends. (See Oral Hygiene.)

Lastly, the patient is responsible for scheduling regular periodontal maintenance appointments. The frequency will be determined by us and your dentist, and is critical! Most patients with moderate and advanced cases should have periodontal maintenance appointments every three months for their lifetime, and staying faithful to this schedule is very important (See Periodontal Maintenance).