HealthHow to treat Periodontal Disease? 

How to treat Periodontal Disease? 

Keywords: Periodontal Disease, Gum Disease Treatment, Gum Disease, Periodontitis Treatment

Word Count: 750 

Periodontal disease, more commonly known as gum disease, is a huge precursor to tooth loss if left untreated.

Periodontal disease has four stages, the first three of which are most easily treatable. 

  1. Gingivitis
  2. Slight periodontal disease
  3. Moderate periodontal disease
  4. Advanced periodontal disease 

Once it reaches the final stage, advanced periodontal disease, sufferers are likely to experience pain, sensitivity, difficulty chewing, and tooth loss. 

But what if you want to seek treatment for your periodontal disease before it progresses? What treatments can you expect to be offered?  

  1. Gingivitis 

Gingivitis, or gum disease, occurs first and can progress into periodontal disease if left untreated. 

As this is the least severe form of gum disease, it is the easiest to treat. As such, gum disease treatment includes: 

  • Effective oral hygiene, including brushing twice daily with fluoride toothpaste and regular flossing. 
  • Professional dental cleaning, including professional plaque and tartar removal. 
  • Antiseptic mouthwashes on prescription. These will contain chlorhexidine which reduces mouth bacteria. 

This is the stage that involves the least amount of effort for the patient and is completely curable. However, this good oral hygiene must continue to stop gingivitis from redeveloping. 

  1. Slight periodontal disease 

If gingivitis is not treated, plaque will continue to accumulate and spread along the gumline. The bacteria found inside plaque releases toxins which affect the gums and trigger a chronic inflammatory response that goes on to damage gums and bone. 

Early periodontal disease can be easier to treat and control, but even at this stage cannot be removed completely. 

Periodontitis treatment at this stage includes: 

  • Effective oral hygiene, including twice-daily brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash. This may include targeted professional advice on how to improve your home dental routine to stop future plaque formation.
  • Professional dental cleaning procedures including scaling and root planing. 

The procedure starts with a topical or local anaesthetic, to numb the area to be treated. 

The dentist will then scrape away all plaque and tartar, in a process known as scaling, above and below the gumline to the periodontal pocket. 

 Finally, the dentist will smooth out (or plane) the rough surfaces on the roots of your teeth to help your gums reattach. 

Depending on the scale of your periodontal disease, this may be completed in one sitting or you may need several treatments to scale and plane all of your teeth. 

  1. Moderate periodontal disease 

If the periodontal disease reaches this stage, then the infection has progressed deeper into the gums. 

Treatments include: 

  • Professional dental cleaning procedures including scaling and root planing.
  • Topical or oral antibiotics, or a mix of both. 

Unlike with patients with slight periodontal disease, periodontitis treatment such as scaling and root planing will likely occur multiple times to try to remove the plaque and tartar that is forming in your mouth. 

As such, you will require multiple appointments, which will incur increased financial burdens. 

  1. Advanced periodontal disease 

This is the most advanced stage of periodontal disease and as such requires the most complex treatments which will likely include surgical procedures. 

If left untreated, your teeth may loosen or fall out and living normally may become difficult. 

If you have not yet lost your teeth, you have some options to help you keep your smile. These include:

  • Flap or pocket reduction surgery, which includes pulling back sections of your gum to more effectively complete scaling and root planing procedures. These sections of gum are then sutured back into place. 
  • Soft tissue grafts replace receding gums. 
  • Bone grafts may keep remaining teeth in place more securely. This will also help encourage healthy bones to grow back.
  • Guided tissue regeneration is a procedure that encourages bone to grow back in specific areas by using biocompatible fabric as a guide. 
  • Tissue-stimulating proteins are found in a gel that, once applied, encourages the regrowth of healthy bone and tissue.

If you have lost your teeth, however, our Smile in a Day treatment options may be of use to you, giving you the chance to regain your lost smile. 

The best prevention of periodontal and gum disease is always the same: 

  • effective oral hygiene
  • lifestyle changes, including giving up smoking
  • visiting a dentist regularly. 

If you already have periodontal disease or gum disease, you are not without options for treating your condition, even at the latest stages when experiencing tooth loss. For more information about the EvoSolution for your tooth loss, contact our Patient Coordinators on 0800 470 3055 or fill in our consultation form and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. 

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