Your First Visit
Your first visit will include:
- A complete oral and periodontal examination
- An assessment of the depth of the spaces, known as periodontal pockets, around your teeth.
- X-rays may be taken to show the bone levels around your teeth to check for possible bone loss.
- This ensures that the team has enough information to be able to produce a written treatment plan and cost estimate for any further treatment visits.
The first non-surgical step usually involves a special cleaning, called scaling and root planning, to remove plague and tartar deposits on the tooth and root surfaces. This procedure helps gum tissues to heal and periodontal pockets to shrink. A local anesthetic may be used to make you as comfortable as possible. At the next visit, pocket depths will be remeasured to see the effect of the scaling and root planning.
Once your periodontal treatment is completed, your dentist will want to see you at regular intervals. Your appointments may alternate between your general dentist and our office.