Periodontal Care Periodontal disease is a progressive disease, which will damage the hard and soft tissues of the oral cavity including the teeth, gums, and jawbone. The bacteria which every person has in their oral cavity can become toxic and begin to break down the tissues of the oral cavity. GingivitisThe disease has several stages, but it can only be completely eradicated and cured while in the first stage. The first stage is known as gingivitis. Once the disease progresses past this point and into the late stages, it can no longer be cured, only treated. At that point, the only thing to be done is to treat the symptoms and manage the disease by trying to slow its progress with periodontal maintenance, which is a deep cleaning procedure. Patients who have been diagnosed with periodontal disease and would like a second opinion or to find out more about their treatment options should come see us at Brian K. Dennis, DDS. We are more than happy to offer our recommendations and treatments. Gum Disease Assessment ProcedureBy doing a thorough assessment we are able to determine if the patient has periodontal disease or not and if so, what stage the disease is in. By finding this out, we can then create a treatment plan moving forward that will be the most beneficial. Part of this assessment includes looking at key risk factors which may cause the patient to be more likely to develop gum disease. We will inspect the teeth and gum tissues as well as examine the amount of tartar and plaque buildup that exists in the oral cavity. We will also examine the pocket depth, which develops along the teeth, where the gums can begin to recede in the earlier stages of periodontal disease. We will also use x-rays to check jawbone health and determine if any bone mass loss has occurred. Non Surgical TreatmentsWhen the disease is in the earliest stages, non-surgical treatment options are available and utilized quite frequently. One of these options is known as scaling and root planing. This involves using a soft tissue laser to thoroughly remove bacteria, tartar, and plaque. Root planing is another technique used which smooths out the root surfaces, so it is harder for bacteria to cling to. Antibiotics are also used to combat gum disease. Due to it being bacterial, a course of antibiotics can help. Periodontal maintenance is another non-surgical treatment which is a very thorough deep cleaning procedure which needs to occur several times a year to be effective. Surgical TreatmentsWhen the disease moves past gingivitis into the later stages of periodontal disease, non-surgical options are simply not effective. That is when surgical options become recommended. Flap surgery is one such procedure which can help shrink the pocket size which forms between the teeth and gums. Gum grafts can also be used to restore lost or decayed gum tissue. Bone grafts can also be relied upon to restore lost bone mass to the upper or lower jawbones. Contact UsPatient who would like to learn more about periodontal maintenance should come to see us at Brian K. Dennis, DDS. We can be reached by phone to make an appointment at 505-292-1051. |
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