Improving Your Oral Health with Periodontal Treatments

Poor oral hygiene has an impact on your teeth and gums. Therefore, if you don’t brush or floss your teeth regularly, you might be at risk of tooth decay and gum disease. When food particles accumulate below the gumline, bacterial acts on them, forming plaque and tartar.

Plaque and tartar accumulation causes tooth decay and gum infections. If your gums are infected, you should seek treatments to prevent further complications. Some of the complications associated with periodontal disease include:

• Gum recession
• Tooth loss
• Bone loss

Gum infections are associated with other general health problems such as stroke and cardiac conditions. Therefore, you should consider seeking treatments to prevent such health problems.

Stages of Periodontal Disease

When you have a gum infection, the condition worsens over time. Below are the stages of periodontitis:

Gingivitis

The first stage of periodontal disease is inflammation. During the gingivitis stage, you are likely to experience bleeding on your gums when you are brushing or flossing your teeth. You might also see plaque deposits on the teeth surfaces and below the gum line.

Early Periodontal Disease

During the early stages of periodontitis, your gums recede, and small pockets start forming around the gum line. The periodontal pockets harbor bacteria and plaque that can lead to bone loss and other conditions.

Moderate Stage

If gum disease is left untreated, you might experience progressive gum recession, pain, and bleeding. During the stage of periodontitis, your teeth start becoming loose, and you might experience an inflammatory response throughout the body.

Advance Stage

During the advanced stages, you might experience tooth loss, bone loss, and your gums become swollen, red, and tender. When your gum disease is in its terminal stages, you might experience bleeding, pain when chewing, bad breath, and a foul smell in your mouth.

Signs and Symptoms of Gum Disease

Some of the signs and symptoms associated with periodontitis include:

• Bleeding gums when your brush or floss your teeth
• Gum recession
• Change in your teeth’ positions
• Bad odor and a foul taste in your mouth
• An inflammatory response that spreads to the whole body
• Redness, tenderness, and gum swelling
• Tartar and plaque build-up on your teeth and below the gum line
• Periodontal pockets around your gum line

When you experience the above dental problems, you can contact the dentist near you. Your dentist might recommend periodontal treatments. At the dental clinic, the dentist or periodontist will check your gums for the progression of the gum infection. With the diagnosis, your dentist can create a custom treatment plan for you.

Treating Periodontal Diseases

The most effective way of treating gum disease is through prevention. Therefore, you can consider good oral hygiene practices to prevent the development of gum infections. To prevent gum infections, you can consider regular dental visits to your dentist for dental exams and cleanings.

If you have developed gum disease, the dentist might recommend the following treatments:

Deep Cleaning

During the early stages of gum disease, your dentist might recommend root planing and scaling during your routine dental exam. The procedure involves removing plaque deposits under your gums and smoothening the surfaces. Smoothening the surfaces under the gums helps the gum reattach with the teeth after receding.

Antibiotics

Since periodontal diseases are a result of bacterial infections, your dentist might recommend antibiotics. Some of the medications can be topical or oral. Topical medications include antiseptic mouth rinses to eliminate bacteria in the gums. On the other hand, oral medications are necessary to eliminate the infection-causing agents.

Surgery

When your periodontal disease is in its advanced stages, your dentist might recommend treatments such as flap surgery. During the surgery, the dentist will cut through your gums o remove the content of the periodontal pockets and reduce the size.

Flap surgery also exposes the tooth’s roots, aiding scaling and root planing. Therefore, your teeth can reattach with the gums. However, your dentist might recommend medications to eliminates any signs of infection on the gums. If your soft tissues are damaged, the dentist might recommend soft tissue grafts.

For damaged jawbone, your dentist will recommend tooth extraction and bone grafting to restore your appearance, improve chewing and reduce the risk of other complications. Therefore, if you need gum treatments for a healthy smile, you can visit us at Susan J. Curley DDS dental clinic.