Dentists are continually on the lookout for periodontitis. It can take place in many degrees, but all of them are no good. Once seen in a patient, dentists may recommend periodontal therapy to help fight it and protect your teeth. This involves any form of treatment needed to stop its progress and damage.
The First Step
When first seen by a dentist, the dentist will likely provide some instruction to a patient as to what the patient can do to fight it. In the early stages, combatting periodontitis will largely depend on what the patient does. Brushing and flossing will need to be done daily and consistently. An antibacterial mouthwash may also be recommended or prescribed.
The Second Step
If the periodontitis is not stopped, it will continue to get worse. It is at this time that the dentist will likely recommend some form of therapy for periodontitis. There are many procedures that may be used at this point.
Periodontal Therapy
The goal of the therapy is to eliminate the periodontitis and preserve the teeth. The therapies involved may include:
- Scaling and Root Planing
This non-surgical step involves deep cleaning the teeth and removing the bacterium above and below the gum line. Root planing involves removing the places on the tooth where the bacterium can accumulate, making it more difficult for a build-up to occur. This step will often eliminate the disease, but maintenance checkups will be needed to ensure it stays under control and gone.
Placing of Medications
Along with scaling and root planing, medications may be placed under the gums which will slowly release medications to help kill the periodontal disease. In some cases, a tray system, similar to mouth pieces, may also be used to deliver medications where they are needed.
Gum Grafting
When the gums have receded and exposed the roots, this makes it much more likely that tooth decay will start in the roots. In gum grafting, this surgical procedure takes tissue from one part of the mouth and uses it to build up the gums where needed.
Pocket Reduction Surgery
As the gums recede, pockets are formed around the tooth. This space enables periodontitis bacterium to multiply. Pocket reduction surgery is a surgical process where the pockets are cleaned out, and then reduced, and sewed up tight against the tooth. This eliminates the space that the bacterium needed to get started. Special proteins are often added to speed up healing.
When periodontitis is discovered, it is important to take it seriously and get started to bring it under control. Even after it is under control, you will need to make regular dental visits for checkups with the dentist to see how well the control is working.
The dentists at Amazing Smile Dental NY, located in the Forest Hills area of Queens, New York, can help you control dental disease with periodontal therapy. Our friendly and professional dentists are experienced in all forms of eliminating periodontitis. We are family friendly and seek to provide pain-free dentistry for all members of the family. Call us today at (718) 674-6478 to make an appointment.