▁period ont al ▁health . ▁Sm oking ▁also ▁del ays ▁the ▁he aling ▁process ▁once ▁deb ride ment , ▁scaling , ▁root ▁plan ing ▁and ▁ade qu ate ▁home ▁care ▁has ▁been ▁completed . ▁ ▁He aling ▁of ▁period ont al ▁po ckets ▁are ▁shown ▁by ▁a ▁reduction ▁in ▁pocket ▁depth . ▁Although ▁pocket ▁depth s ▁can ▁be ▁reduced ▁by ▁decre asing ▁infl amm ation , ▁it ▁is ▁important ▁note ▁that ▁large ▁changes ▁will ▁not ▁occur . ▁Two ▁ways ▁in ▁which ▁period ont al ▁pocket ▁reduction ▁can ▁occur ▁is ▁by ▁either ▁non - s urg ical ▁period ont al ▁ther apy ▁( NS PT ) ▁or ▁surg ical ▁period ont al ▁ther apy . ▁NS PT ▁includes ▁but ▁is ▁not ▁limited ▁to ▁initial ▁deb ride ment , ▁scaling , ▁root ▁plan ing , ▁ant ib i otic ▁treatment , ▁and ▁or al ▁health ▁education . ▁If ▁period ont al ▁pocket ▁depth s ▁are ▁not ▁controlled ▁and ▁maintained ▁with ▁NS PT ▁during ▁a ▁re - evalu ation ▁appointment ▁then ▁surg ical ▁period ont al ▁ther apy ▁is ▁necessary . ▁S urg ical ▁period ont al ▁ther apy ▁creates ▁a ▁stable ▁and ▁maintain able ▁environment ▁for ▁the ▁patient ▁by ▁elimin ating ▁path ological ▁changes ▁in ▁the ▁po ckets . The ▁overall ▁purpose ▁of ▁surg ical ▁ther apy ▁is ▁to ▁eliminate ▁the ▁path ogen ic ▁pla que ▁in ▁pocket ▁walls ▁to ▁get ▁a ▁stable ▁and ▁easily ▁maintain able ▁state . ▁This ▁can ▁promote ▁period ont al ▁reg ener ation . ▁ ▁Period ont al ▁S cal