Periodontal/Gum Treatment

There are many options for treating periodontitis or gum diseases. The purpose of the treatment is to clean the bacteria pockets and thus prevent further damage.  Wurzbach Parkway Family Dental is here to help you prevent and treat your periodontal issues.

Gingivitis

This is a mild form of gum disease. It is caused by plaque forming on the teeth from not maintaining good oral hygiene. It can be reversed through professional dental care and good oral home care.

The symptoms are:

• red, swollen, receding gums that bleed easily
• bad breath
• tender gums
• mouth sores

Gingivitis Treatment

It is very simple to treat gingivitis:

• have a professional dental cleaning to remove plaque and tartar
• regularly brush teeth twice a day and floss daily to prevent any bacteria build-up

Periodontitis

When gingivitis isn’t taken care of, it can lead to periodontitis. The inner layer of the gum and bone will pull away from the teeth to form pockets. These spaces between teeth and gums collect debris, which will lead to infection. Periodontitis is caused by hormonal changes, medications that reduce the amount of salvia in the gums and poor dental hygiene.

The symptoms of periodontitis are:

• red, puffy, tender gums that bleed easily
• gums that have receded from teeth
• dry mouth
• bad breath or bad taste in the mouth
• loose teeth
• change in bite

Non-surgical Periodontitis Treatment

For less advanced periodontitis, surgery is not necessary. Some less invasive methods are:

• Scaling: during this procedure the dentist uses ultrasonic and manual instruments to remove calculus. The plaque is scraped from above and below the gum line.
• Root Planing: the dentist smoothes the rough spots on the tooth. This helps removes the bacteria that collects there and helps the gums reattach.
• Gingival curettage: removes soft tissue lining of the periodontal pockets to eliminate bacteria and diseased tissue. It is a deeper cleaning than scaling and root planning.

Surgery

If the periodontal disease has gone too far, surgery is needed:

• Open Flap Curettage: during this procedure, the surgeon flaps the gums away from the tooth and surrounding bone. The diseased root surfaces are cleaned and scraped away to remove deposits, and the tissue is replaced to minimize pocket depth. The remaining bones may also be contoured to regenerate lost bone.
• Guided Tissue Regeneration: this stimulates bone and gum tissue growth. The root surfaces and diseased bone are cleaned out. Then a special piece of fabric is sewn around the tooth to cover it. The gum is sewn over the fabric to allow the bone and root attachment to regenerate.
• Bone grafting: during severe bone loss the surgeon may attempt to encourage re-growth and restoration of bone tissue that was lost through disease. The bone graft is either your own bone, or from a donor, and it stimulates new bone growth in the area.

If you have any questions about gum disease, contact Wurzbach Parkway Family Dental today.