Periodontitis is one of the most severe and prominent gum diseases. It often takes a serious toll on one’s oral health. Periodontitis is mainly caused by microbes in the mouth that get deposited on the tongue, gums, teeth, and other oral tissues and form plaque on the teeth. If plaque stays for a longer time on one’s teeth, it forms tartar which houses thousands of harmful bacteria. Plaque and tartar deposits severely damage our teeth, gums, and jawbones, causing periodontitis.
There is a whole branch in dentistry that deals with such oral conditions called Periodontics. A Periodontist is specialized in preventing, diagnosing, and treating gum diseases. They receive extensive training in these areas and are experts in treating all types of gum diseases.
Getting periodontitis treated in its early stages is very important to halt its spread and keep it from causing severe symptoms. These treatments are:
Accumulated plaque and tartar on teeth are the leading cause of periodontitis. We will first deeply clean your teeth and gums from above and under your gum line and then use an ultrasonic scaling device. It will loosen and dislodge the calcified microbial deposits from the teeth surfaces, which will be washed away using a jet of water. These procedures are known as scaling and root planing.
There are antibiotic medicines that are effective in eliminating gum infection, such as Arestin, and also saving the gums from reinfection. We usually prefer placing it in the deep gum pockets to facilitate optimum healing of the tissues.
We will use a laser to remove the gum tissues that are inflamed due to the disease around your tooth roots. Plaque and tartar deposits around your teeth and gums will be removed. Next, we use a hand-held tool to smooth out rough surfaces on your teeth and tooth roots, which reduces the chances of reinfection and microbial accumulation. This procedure is pain-free, and the recovery time is also shorter.
We may refer you to a periodontist if we think surgery is the best option to treat your affected gums and jawbone. One procedure is gum grafting, in which the periodontist will extract healthy tissues from the palate and graft them on the affected area. This will increase the volume of gum tissues in the area where the gum line has receded. Another method is flap surgery, where the periodontist will pull back a section of your gums to clean and restore the roots of your teeth and damaged bone. The gum will be placed back to the position, and necessary medicines are prescribed.
Please reach out to our dental practice in Fremont, CA, to have a consultation with our dentist, Dr. Louie. Please call us at (510) 656-7778 or schedule an online consultation, and we’ll guide you further.
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