What Are Some Gum Disease Treatments?

 

Healthy gums not only help your mouth feel good, but they also help the overall appearance of your smile. When gums get infected and inflamed from bacteria, gum disease is present. It is reversible with professional care ‌if it’s caught early, but if it’s ignored, the gums can recede, bone tissue can be lost, and teeth can become loose. Treatment options vary according to the stage, severity of the illness, and the patients’ general health and personal preferences․

 

‌Plaque and tartar build-up cause the gums to become irritated, red, swollen, and to bleed; this is known as mild gum disease or gingivitis․ When these deposits are removed from the surfaces of the teeth and below the gums, the gum tissue may heal, especially when combined with routine daily brushing and flossing at home to maintain oral hygiene between office visits․

 

The more serious stages of gingivitis may need a deep cleaning or a scaling and root planing treatment. This is a nonsurgical procedure for treating bacteria underneath the gumline, where it cannot be removed by routine cleaning․ Scaling involves cleaning the plaque and tartar from the teeth and the ‌pockets that form between the teeth and gums, while root planing smooths the root surfaces of the teeth so that bacteria have a harder time adhering․

 

Antibacterial medications may help control the infection, and some dentists use medicated gels in the periodontal pockets following scaling and root planing to reduce the bacterial load while promoting healing․ In some cases, prescription antimicrobial ‌mouth rinses or oral antibiotics may be prescribed as part of the treatment․

 

For patients who have moderate to severe gum disease, periodontal maintenance visits are also a part of care, which are more frequent than routine cleanings․ Many of the types of bacteria that can cause gum disease take about 90 days to start causing damage. To control the bacteria and to prevent the gum disease from progressing, you may need professional cleaning every three months instead of every six. At each visit, the dental team carefully removes the plaque and tartar above and below the gumline, measures the pocket depth, and checks for swelling or inflammation․

 

If gum disease has not been treated and has had the opportunity to destroy tissue or bone, surgery may be necessary․ Many forms of surgery are used to address gum and bone loss, including flap surgery or pocket reduction surgery․ The gums are separated from the teeth with a laser or a scalpel, allowing the dentist or periodontist to remove the deep subgingival deposits of bacteria and calculus, and smooth the root surfaces․ The gum tissue is then replaced against the tooth, where it fits more tightly, and the pockets are reduced․

 

Where there has been significant bone loss, the dentist will use reconstructive surgery to allow the body to regrow the structures․ Bone and gum grafting, or the use of membranes, can stimulate the regrowth of tissue destroyed by the infection․ These treatments help to stabilize the affected teeth in their sockets and improve oral health in the long term․

 

If you have more questions about gum disease or how addressing it could help you achieve better dental health, make an appointment with the dentist to see your treatment options for gum disease.

 

Related Article: What are gum disease symptoms?