Scaling and Root Planing Post Op Instructions

Periodontal disease has been shown to be responsible for approximately fifty percent of tooth loss. After deep scale and root planing:

• If you smoke, DO NOT SMOKE for at least one hour. Consider quitting, as smoking aggravates periodontal disease.
• Avoid spicy foods until your mouth tissues feel better, approximately 24 - 48 hours. This varies with each person.
• Salt water rinses will ease soreness. Rinse as often as you like using one teaspoon of salt to one cup of warm water.
• If you feel it is necessary, take extra-strength acetaminophen (Tylenol) pain relievers that are not aspirin types. Avoid aspirin until tissues have healed.
• It is important to remember to brush and floss as usual, just be a bit more gentle until your mouth feels better. Leaving food debris on your teeth and gums will only invite more bacteria and soreness, so do your best to keep your mouth clean.

Areas that negatively affect the health of gums and supporting bone area:

• Poor oral hygiene habits.
• Plaque bacteria and accumulation of calculus (tartar), as well as faulty restorations, fillings, crowns, bridges and food impaction.
• Nutrition specific deficiencies such as a lack of vitamin A, B complex, C, D, and the minerals calcium and phosphorus.
• Adverse habits such as smoking, chewing tobacco, regular drinking of soda and other sugared drinks between meals, chewing gum or candy that has sugar as the base, eating baked goods that have small seeds which may get into pockets around teeth.

In cases of Advanced Periodontal Disease, when deemed necessary, you may be referred you to a Periodontist.

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