Periodontal disease is inflammation and infection of your gums and the bone that supports your teeth. Symptoms may include bad breath, loose teeth, bleeding, and swollen gums. The good news is, your dentist can help you strengthen your gums with simple treatments, like periodontal cleaning.
What Is Periodontal Disease?
How To Identify & Proactively Treat Periodontal Disease
Periodontal disease — also known as gum disease — refers to inflammation and infection of the tissues that support your teeth. Poor oral hygiene can result in gum disease. However, some people are more prone to this condition than others are, even with proper brushing and flossing.
Thankfully, the early stage of gum disease, also called gingivitis, is reversible. To prevent gum disease from settling into a permanent case of periodontal disease, it’s important to regularly visit your local Radix Dentistry dentist in Leander, TX to keep your smile healthy and clean.
The Stages Of Gum Disease
Periodontal Disease Symptoms
Periodontal disease, the more advanced stage of gum disease, is not reversible and can lead to tooth loss. It’s important to get immediate dental support to maintain the health of your teeth and gums.
The good news is that your Radix Dentistry team can design a care plan to restore your oral health.
Specialized Dental Care For Periodontal Disease
If you’re experiencing any periodontal disease symptoms, Radix Dentistry is here for you. Book an appointment with your local periodontist today.
Periodontal Disease (Periodontitis) Treatment Options
Your Radix Dentistry dentist will work with you to determine the best care plan for you and your smile. Below, discover possible periodontal disease treatment options.
Dental cleaning and improved oral hygiene. Gingivitis is the earliest stage of gum disease. It’s relatively easy to treat and can usually be controlled with a cleaning from your Radix Dentistry care team.
Your Radix Dentistry dentist will work with you to determine the best care plan for you and your smile. Discover possible periodontal disease treatment options below.
If things progress beyond gingivitis, it can affect the bone supporting your teeth, also known as periodontitis. The first step to periodontal disease treatment usually involves scaling and root planing. This treatment may be done over more than one visit, depending on your personal needs.
- Scaling: First, your dentist or hygienist removes plaque and tartar with specialized instruments below the gumline and disinfects the area using medication.
- Root planing: Then, the root surfaces of your teeth are smoothed, or “planed”, to promote the gum tissue to heal and reattach to the roots of your teeth. To enhance healing and minimize any discomfort, it’s possible that your dentist may recommend a prescription for you.
Your Radix Dentistry dentist will work with you to determine the best care plan for you and your smile. Discover possible periodontal disease treatment options below.
Sometimes, scaling and root planing aren’t enough to completely treat gum disease. If your periodontal pockets don’t fully heal after scaling and root planing, periodontal surgery may be the best next step.
Surgery can help remove plaque and tartar from hard-to-reach areas. Your dentist will advise you of the stage of gum disease and potential outcomes during the consultation.
People with moderate to advanced gum disease may need pocket reduction surgery (also called osseous surgery). The goal is to remove plaque and tartar that are so deep under the gums that your hygienist can’t reach them. During this procedure, a periodontist makes an incision (cut) in your gums and creates a flap. This allows them to temporarily move your gums back from your teeth roots.
Next, they’ll clean the plaque, tartar, and bacteria from your teeth roots and smooth out any rough areas. Once complete, they’ll reposition your gums and close the incision with stitches.
Oftentimes, periodontists combine pocket reduction surgery with other regenerative procedures, such as bone grafting, gum grafting, or guided tissue regeneration.
Your periodontist may use a dental bone graft to replace bone that you’ve lost to gum disease. Once they clean the infection out, they’ll place bone grafting material into the areas where the bone has eroded. This material acts as scaffolding or a space-holder, giving your body time to regenerate its own bone over time.
If you’ve lost gum tissue to periodontal disease, your dentist may recommend gum graft surgery, also called tissue grafting. This procedure covers exposed tooth roots and adds thickness to your gumline.
During this procedure, a periodontist will add tissue to the areas of gum recession. This tissue may come from the roof of your mouth, or your provider may purchase it from a licensed bone and tissue bank.
Periodontal Disease (Periodontitis) Treatment FAQs
While anyone can get gum disease, your risk of getting it increases in certain instances, including:
- Not regularly brushing and flossing your teeth and gums
- Smoking, chewing tobacco, vaping, and dipping
- High white blood cell count caused by diseases such as HIV, autoimmune disorders, and diabetes
- Your age (chances increase after age 65)
- Medications
- Birth control pills or pregnancy and the resulting hormone changes
- Genetics
Using a periodontal probe, your dentist or hygienist can gently measure how deep the pockets around each of your teeth are. Healthy teeth have a pocket depth of three millimeters or less—so the lower the number, the better your health. As gum disease grows in severity, the pocket becomes deeper, giving bacteria even more access to your teeth, tissues, gums, and jaw.
If your oral health specialist suspects periodontitis is setting in, they may recommend an x-ray. Dental x-rays show how much bone supports your teeth at any given time. If bone density is reduced in either width or length, this could indicate that periodontal disease is taking effect.
People with heart disease and diabetes are more likely to experience gum disease, as are those who have had a stroke or deal with high amounts of stress. Unfortunately, science has not yet identified the link between these diseases and gum disease, so it’s important to speak with your dentist about any long-term health issues you may have.
An estimated 70% of people over age 65 have some form of gum disease. If adequate oral hygiene is not maintained, any patient with a past history of periodontitis can develop recurrent periodontitis.
Here are some simple things you can do to help your gums heal and prevent future problems:
Brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes each time. Use a power toothbrush with soft bristles and toothpaste with fluoride. Fluoride is a natural mineral that helps keep teeth strong.
Clean your teeth daily to remove plaque and food particles between them. If your gums have loosened, it may be best to use smaller brushes, picks, wider types of floss, or a power flosser to clean between your teeth.
Your dentist may also recommend regularly using a specific mouth rinse.
Look for the American Dental Association Seal of Acceptance on your dental care products. The ADA Seal means these products have met ADA standards for safety and effectiveness.
If you suspect periodontitis, you’ll likely need to see your Radix Dentistry dentist more often than normal. Your gum pockets, the space between your teeth and gums, may make it harder for you to clean the plaque off your teeth. Your oral health could likely benefit from periodontal treatment or dental deep cleaning. Your Radix Dentistry dentist will discuss the best treatment plan for you.
Over time, fewer appointments may be necessary. Once your gums are restored to health, your dentist will determine a maintenance schedule based on your clinical evaluations.
An important part of your care plan will incorporate periodontal cleanings, also known as dental deep cleanings. This is a more extensive cleaning process than the standard to ensure your gums stay healthy. Personalized periodontal maintenance lowers the amount of plaque bacteria, calming inflammation and allowing your pockets to shrink. This will lead to healthier gums and a refreshed smile.
We also recommend taking any medication as prescribed by your dentist. They may prescribe your rinses and gels to manage inflammation or discomfort. After treatment, your teeth may feel sensitive, and the medication can help you return to your daily activities. Additionally, your periodontist may recommend a special toothpaste or other treatments to decrease your tooth sensitivity.
Although you may experience discomfort and be tempted to avoid cleaning the treated areas, it’s important to follow your dentist’s instructions for at-home care to support the health of your teeth and gums.
Periodontal disease isn’t life-threatening. However, it can lead to other health conditions that may require treatment, especially if the infection spreads to different areas of your body.
Gum disease isn’t curable. But it’s manageable with proper treatment. Early detection and treatment can help you better manage your oral health if you have gum disease.
If you develop bleeding, tender, or swollen gums, see your Radix Dentistry dentist immediately. Early detection is key. If you need more than routine dental cleaning, your dentist will refer you to a periodontist for treatment.
If you have gum disease, here are a few questions you may want to ask your periodontist:
- What stage of gum disease do I have?
- Will I need surgical or nonsurgical treatment?
- Do you offer sedation dentistry options?
- How long will recovery take?
- When can I go back to work or school?
- How often do I need dental cleanings?
Periodontal (Gum) Disease | National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
– https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/gum-disease
Periodontitis – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic – https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/periodontitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354473
Periodontal Disease | Oral Health Conditions | Division of Oral Health | CDC – https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/conditions/periodontal-disease.html
Periodontal Disease (Gum Disease): Causes, Symptoms and Treatment – https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21482-gum-periodontal-disease
Gum Disease Information – American Academy of Periodontology – https://www.perio.org/for-patients/gum-disease-information/
Periodontitis: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments – https://www.healthline.com/health/periodontitis
Periodontal disease – Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periodontal_disease
Periodontal Disease – StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554590/
Caring For You Throughout Your Periodontal Treatment
Still have questions about what to expect before, during, and after your procedure? We’re here to help—and walk you through it every step of the way.