Periodontal Maintenance Procedure

There are two procedures that many people likely know little of. Fortunately I have learned a lot while working in the dental field and would like to share the similarities and differences between a prophylaxis and a periodontal maintenance procedure. First we need to discuss what a prophylaxis actually is. If you’ve ever been to the dentist and got your teeth cleaned then you likely had a prophylaxis performed. During the procedure a dental hygienist will remove tartar, plaque, and stains from your teeth. Similarly, a periodontal maintenance procedure is also a cleaning of the teeth, but differs completely from a prophylaxis and there is often confusion between the two. In the same way that a prophylaxis cleans your teeth a periodontal cleaning will do the same, but with a few extra measures. Your hygienist will also clean beneath the gum line and measure your pocket depths to determine whether there has been any positive progress. One of the biggest differences between these two …show more content…
Often this is the subject that most patients are concerned with. A patient is informed they have periodontal disease and this usually upsets them. Then, add on the fact that a periodontal maintenance procedure costs twice as much as a prophylaxis and they will pay that much more yearly. Now we have patient that is bent out of shape and often they don’t understand why they need to have a periodontal maintenance performed. “Can’t you give me a regular cleaning?” they commonly say. Often times a patient looks for the cheapest way to receive a cleaning and periodontal maintenance doesn’t fit the bill. When dental insurance is a factor receiving a prophylaxis is also favorable. Most insurances cover preventative work such as a cleaning, exam, and x-rays at one-hundred percent. This means the patient walks out of the office after having that all performed at no charge because
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