What is Periodontal Disease?

Periodontists is inflammation and infection of the ligaments and bones which hold the teeth in place. Damage to this underlying bone structure can cause you to lose your teeth. This disease can be present without you even being aware of it.

Symptoms of Periodontal Disease

• The chronic presence of bad breath and gingivitis

• Red, irritated, sore and swollen gums

• Gums bleed during brushing or flossing

• Difficulty in eating and chewing

• Increasing gaps forming between the teeth

• Tooth sensitivity

What Periodontal Treatment Involves:

Treatment Goals – Once periodontal disease has been identified, the goals of treatment are:

• To curb the growth of the bacterial infection

• To leave the periodontal tissues in an easily maintainable state

• Restore the supporting structures, which include bone, gum tissue, and ligaments

Treatment Phases - To achieve above listed goals, there are three phases of periodontal treatment involved:

•

Initial, Non-Surgical Phase -

cleaning, scaling, and curettage
• Scaling -
  removing deposits of plaque and calculus from above the gum line of tooth roots. It may be performed using a combination of conventional dental tools and ultrasonic devices.

  Root Planning -

  removing plaque and calculus from the roots of the teeth leaving a smooth and clean root surface.

• Surgery or Reconstructive Phase - needed for reducing deep pockets that remain underneath the gum after extensive cleaning sessions

• Maintenance Phase - daily brushing and flossing combined program of regular hygiene maintenance visits

After Treatment

If your gum tissue responds well to the treatment and you are able to maintain good oral hygiene program especially designed for you, then you can greatly reduce the risk of development of Periodontitis disease. This also involves regular 3, 4 or 6 monthly visits to your dentist who will continue to scale and root plane your teeth and eliminate any new tartar deposits beneath the gum line that may have formed since the previous appointment.

In some circumstances, even with good personal oral care, if the condition of your gum tissue doesn’t improve sufficiently then you may be referred to see a Periodontist (gum specialist).