What is periodontal disease
Periodontal disease, informally referred to as gum disease, is a systemic infection that can damage the soft tissues, bone, and supporting structures of your mouth when left unaddressed. Periodontal disease typically presents due to poor oral hygiene when bacteria is allowed to proliferate on the teeth and within the gum pockets of your mouth. Your body’s immune system recognizes this overabundance of bacteria as an infection and causes inflammation as part of its immune response, leading to many of the classic symptoms of periodontal disease including:
- Consistent bad breath that doesn’t go away
- Loose teeth
- Receding gums
- Sensitive gums
- Red, Swollen gums
- Blood when brushing and flossing
If left untreated, gum disease can increase your risk for heart attack, stroke, and lung infections. The good news is that with excellent oral hygiene gum disease is preventable and reversible.
Non-Surgical treatment options for periodontal disease
The objective of non-surgical treatment is to remove the built-up bacteria from the gum pockets and stop the progression of any further damage to the soft tissue, bone, and supporting structures within your mouth without surgical intervention.
- Root planing and scaling
The purpose of root planing and scaling is to remove plaque, tartar, and calculus that has built up beneath the gumline in the gum pockets. Scaling utilizes ultrasonic and specialized hand tools to perform debridement and cleaning beneath the gumline. Root planing smooths the rough patches on the roots of your teeth that harbor bacteria, making cleaning easier and reducing the areas bacteria can thrive.
- Maintenance Cleanings
After root planing and scaling, a course of periodontal maintenance cleanings may be necessary to continue to make progress on the benefits gained. These cleanings are a deeper and more comprehensive cleaning than you would receive from your general dentist’s office. Plaque and tartar are removed both above and below the gum line and you are monitored for the return of inflammation or other symptoms of periodontal disease.
- <p”>Antibiotic treatment
Topical antibiotics are frequently utilized after root planning and scaling treatment to help fight localized infection. These are applied either directly to or just beneath the gumline at the conclusion of the therapy. For severe or acute infections, a short-term course of oral antibiotics may be prescribed to aid in combating the build up of bacteria.
- At-home oral health maintenance
A patients follow through and commitment is vital to the successful treatment of periodontal disease. The PermaDent team will work with you to develop a sustainable and effective at-home oral health routine. Periodontal disease is a chronic and long-term disease, if the patient fails to maintain good oral health practices, periodontal disease can return.
Surgical periodontal treatment
If non-surgical treatment fails, or in the case of severe gum disease, you may need surgical treatment in order to treat the infection.