Gum Disease Treatment: What You Need to Know

Gum disease treatment is crucial for your oral health. Gums deteriorate because of aging or infections. Studies show that treating this issue can improve your general health as well. Here are the things you need to know about gum disease treatment.

What this treatment is all about

Dentists use many dental procedures in gum disease treatment. Dental care providers use them to reduce pain and infection in the mouth. These procedures rebuild the damaged periodontal tissues. A dentist who works with gum tissue can provide detailed attention to any stage of gum disease.

Gum disease develops when tartar and plaque build up on the dental surfaces. The gums react to irritants and bacteria. They then become tender and swollen. Gum bleeding may also occur during flossing and brushing. Studies reveal that early gum disease treatment can reverse the symptoms of early stages of infection.

Later stages of gum disease result in gum and jawbone damage. This condition results in periodontal pockets and gaps. These developments can lead to more infection and even tooth loss. Gum disease treatment will be more detailed at this stage.

The options

Statistics show that about half of adults at least 30 years old have gum disease. Almost 9% of adults need advanced gum disease treatment. The procedure depends on many factors, including the ability to follow aftercare instructions. The dentist can offer non-surgical and surgical treatment options. Sedation dentistry can help keep the patient feeling comfortable during the procedure.

Non-surgical gum disease treatment options

These treatments are for people with early-stage periodontal disease. Dentists often offer these treatments to reverse or reduce the symptoms. Each gum disease treatment below may or may not need dental sedation. Here are the common ones:

• Scaling and root planing is also known as deep cleaning. This gum disease treatment reaches underneath the gumline to remove tartar and plaque.
• Dental prophylaxis is regular dental cleaning. This treatment should happen two times a year. The dentist will remove plaque and tartar from dental surfaces.
• Laser periodontal therapy is a gum disease treatment that uses a laser to kill bacteria under the gums. It also removes diseased tissue without sutures or incisions.
• Antibiotic therapy uses antibiotics to remove bad bacteria from the gums. The dentist places these medications between the gums and teeth.

Surgical gum disease treatment options

In severe cases of periodontitis, the patient will need traditional surgery. Guided tissue regeneration places a membrane in the gum tissue’s damaged section. The treatment helps bone to regenerate around the tooth. The dentist may help with this process with bone grafting.

Gum grafting uses synthetic, donated, or the patient’s tissue to treat gum recession. This is a common type of gum disease treatment. The dentist will place a tissue graft on the area with severe gum recession. Sutures will keep it in place. Bone grafting uses synthetic, donated, or the patient’s bone to rebuild the sections that gum disease damaged. The dentist can perform this gum disease treatment with pocket reduction surgery.