Patient's Role in Treatment Success

No matter how successful periodontal treatment has been, patient compliance is the most important factor in maintaining periodontal health. For maximum benefits of therapy, the patient must accept this role as a "co-therapist."

The first responsibility of the patient is to eliminate the factors that increase susceptibility to periodontal disease. The prime culprit is smoking, which dramatically increases the odds of losing your teeth. Diabetic patients are also more susceptible, although this effect is negligible if blood sugar is well controlled. A well balanced diet does promote healing and general health; however, periodontal disease is not usually affected by high doses of calcium or vitamin C.

The second responsibility of the patient is to maintain daily plaque control. Brushing and flossing are “technique sensitive." The time that you spend relearning proper oral hygiene techniques will pay great dividends in successfully maintaining your periodontal health.

Lastly, you are responsible for scheduling regular periodontal maintenance appointments.  The frequency of these appointments will be determined by Dr. Bloch and your general dentist depending on your level of periodontal health.  Most patients with moderate and advanced cases are more suseptible to recurrent disease and should be maintained on a quarterly basis.  These periodontal maintenance appointments are typically scheduled on an alternating basis between our office and your restorative dentist.