What is Non-Surgical Periodontal Therapy?

Often, early stages of periodontal disease are best treated with non-surgical periodontal therapy. Non-surgical periodontal therapy involves the mechanical removal of bacteria and other materials on the surfaces of teeth. This includes good oral hygiene training, scaling and root planing as well as antibiotic treatment such as Arestin.

Scaling and root planing is typically done under local anesthesia and involves using special instruments to go beneath the gum line to effectively remove calculus, bacteria, and diseased root surface.

Antibiotics may be prescribed after scaling and root planing or periodontal surgery to help reduce any remaining bacteria that cause toxins or periodontitis. This can also help control infection and encourage normal healing.

Even in severe cases of periodontal disease, non-surgical periodontal therapy can occasionally precede surgical treatment. This helps reduce the areas requiring surgical attention as well as improves overall tissue condition prior to surgery.

Once your periodontal disease is under control, either following surgical treatment or non-surgical therapy, Dr. Arastu will advise that you come in for regular periodontal maintenance appointments.