Lately, whenever I brush my teeth, I feel like my gums are a bit swollen, and sometimes they bleed right away. I’d noticed it before, but I always thought, “It’s nothing, probably just the toothpaste being too harsh.” I never took it seriously. It wasn’t until the reminder card from my last dentist appointment arrived again that I realized I really should go get it checked out.
To be honest, I felt a bit nervous before heading to the clinic. Not knowing what to expect, I went with that sense of unease.
First Time Hearing the Term “Periodontal Maintenance”
At the clinic, I sat in that creaky chair while the dental assistant gently probed around my teeth with a small metal hook. As she examined, she said, “Your gums have started to become inflamed.”
Then she told me, “What you need now isn’t a regular cleaning, but ‘periodontal maintenance.’”
I was completely baffled: “Periodontal maintenance? What’s that?”
She explained that while regular brushing cleans the tooth surfaces, it can’t reach the areas below the gums. Over time, a sticky substance called plaque builds up in the space between teeth and gums. If left untreated, it hardens into tartar.Brushing alone can’t remove these deposits.
Therefore, “periodontal maintenance” specifically targets and cleans this invisible debris beneath the gums to prevent gum issues from worsening.
How Deep Cleaning Actually Works
Next came the cleaning process. She first used a small vibrating device, maneuvering it beneath my gums.The sensation was unique, like tiny bubbles gently popping at the base of my teeth. She explained this was an ultrasonic tool designed to break up hardened tartar.
Then she switched to a small scraper, manually removing the remaining residue bit by bit. Honestly, the sound was a bit jarring, reminiscent of scraping the bottom of a pot. I could feel her applying pressure to thoroughly clean the tooth roots.
After finishing one side, she’d rinse out the debris with water. Finally, she polished the tooth surfaces with toothpaste to make them smooth. The whole process took nearly an hour. While it wasn’t painful, it was definitely uncomfortable.
How the Doctor Checks Gum Issues
After cleaning, she took out a tiny measuring tool and started gauging the depth around each tooth.She measured six spots per tooth, reciting the numbers as she went: “3 millimeters… 4 millimeters… 5 millimeters here.”
She explained that if the depth exceeded 3 millimeters, it meant the gap between the gums and teeth had widened—a sign of gum inflammation. The higher the number, the more severe the problem. 5 millimeters was already considered moderate, and if left untreated, it could affect the bone beneath the teeth.
I panicked immediately. Bleeding gums weren’t a minor issue after all—it was my body warning me: “If you don’t treat this, your teeth will loosen!”
Why Every 3 to 4 Months?
I’d always assumed a yearly dental cleaning was sufficient. But she explained earnestly, “You can’t wait six months now. You need to come every 3 to 4 months.”
Why so often? She explained that for someone like me with existing gum issues, tartar builds up exceptionally fast. Waiting six months means the cleaned areas would be covered again, making the whole effort pointless. It’s like weeding a garden: if you pull the weeds and then ignore it, new ones sprout within days, eventually choking the healthy plants.
She emphasized, “This isn’t cosmetic—it’s protecting your teeth. You’re not maintaining them; you’re preventing them from slowly deteriorating.”
That statement stuck with me. It wasn’t about “whether I wanted to do it,” but “whether I had to do it.”
What changes am I making daily now?
From that day on, I started taking gum health seriously. I implemented several practices:
- Floss daily, carefully sliding the floss under the gumline to pull out debris from between teeth. Before, I’d just give a quick pull and call it done. Now I know to do it properly.
- Bought an extra-soft toothbrush, since regular-hardness bristles irritate already inflamed gums.
- Set reminders on my phone to automatically schedule appointments every three months, ending the “I’ll do it next time” procrastination.
I now understand that gum health isn’t fixed with a single cleaning. It’s like car maintenance—if you don’t change the oil, the car will eventually break down. Teeth are the same. Problems don’t erupt suddenly; they build up gradually, potentially leading to extractions.
That dentist said, “This is how adults protect their teeth.” I finally grasped the meaning behind those words. It’s not about waiting until it hurts to act, but proactively preventing problems. It’s not a hassle—it’s taking responsibility for yourself.
