Treatments For Periodontal Disease That Help Restore Your Oral Health

It's worrisome to learn you have periodontal disease. You may not realize you have it until your dentist finds it when you are treated for a toothache or when you have a routine checkup. If your dentist catches it early, periodontal disease is easier to reverse. Here are some periodontal disease treatments.

Medications To Stop The Infection

Periodontal disease, or gum disease, is an inflammation of your gums that causes the gums to pull away from your teeth. Bacteria enter the pockets that form around your teeth and this leads to infections that cause the condition to get worse. The bacteria can infect the bone and the roots of your teeth as well as your gums. Your dentist may give you antibiotics to control the infection. The medications could be in pill form or a mouthwash. Your dentist may also implant antibiotics into the pockets around your teeth that release the medication slowly over a period of days.

Deep Cleaning To Remove Infection And Tartar

Once the tartar and infection are removed, your gum disease may heal, which causes your gums to tighten against your teeth and close the pockets. One of the most important treatments for periodontal disease is deep cleaning your teeth. This procedure is called scaling and planing. Scaling your teeth involves scraping off tartar above and below the gums. By cleaning your teeth under the gums, the pockets of infection can be cleaned out as well.

After scaling, the dentist scrapes hard tartar buildup from the roots of your teeth. This is the planing part of the procedure and it smooths the roots so there are fewer crevices for bacteria to hide in and flourish. Although this is an intense treatment, your dentist will numb your gums and teeth first with an injection or numbing gel so you won't feel much discomfort.

Surgery To Restore Damaged Tissue And Bone

If your gum disease is advanced, you might need surgery to prevent tooth loss. One complication of periodontal disease is that the bone in the affected area wears away. When that's combined with receding gums, your teeth lose their support structure and become loose. Surgery may be able to stop this process and restore the health of your mouth. A bone graft is one possible option to help strengthen and rebuild the bone that supports your teeth. Another type of surgery is on the gums. You may need to have tissue from the roof of your mouth grafted to your gums once they've receded.

Surgery isn't always necessary though. Once your teeth have been deep cleaned and the infection has been brought under control, your mouth may heal on its own and tighten the gums to a more normal state. You'll need to practice good oral hygiene for this to happen. This entails frequent brushing and flossing along with regular visits to your dentist for cleaning and checkups.