What Are the Three Non-surgical Periodontal Treatments?

Also referred to as gum disease, periodontal disease is a widespread infection that damages the bone structure and soft tissue supporting our teeth. This dental illness occurs when microorganisms like oral bacteria, stick themselves on your tooth’s surface and pockets. As they multiply, your immune system will detect them and release toxins to kill the pathogens.

The toxins released by the antibodies cause tissue inflammation to occur. If this preventable condition is left untreated, it will lead to loss of teeth and increase an individual’s risk of health problems like heart attack and stroke.

Its Symptoms

According to a periodontist in Hempstead, NY, one should go to their dentist for an evaluation if they experience the following symptoms:

• Halitosis (bad breath)
• Presence of blood in your spat when brushing or flossing teeth
• Visible pus between your gums
• Loose teeth
• Receding gums
• Gums sensitivity
• Swollen or inflamed gums
• Bright-red gums

If you reside in New York and need professional dental services like bridges, implants, whitening procedures, Invisalign, or professional cleanings, we at Kane Dental Care have you covered.

Gum Disease Treatment

The main objective of periodontitis treatment is to flush out the bacteria harbored in the gum pockets to prevent further destruction of oral tissues and bones. Before you start periodontal therapy, you should know that it’s the patient’s efforts that matter the most in this fight. Besides the medical treatment administered, acceptable oral practices must be implemented for the treatment to work effectively. This is because gum disease is a long-term and chronic inflammatory disease meaning that it will possibly recur should the patient fail to maintain the required oral health standards.

Non-Surgical Periodontal Therapy

Non-surgical periodontal treatment refers to non-invasive methods used to address gum problems. They include:

• Professional cleaning and scaling

For your gum’s health to be restored, your dental practitioner will have to remove all the calculus and plaque in your oral cavity. To do so, he/she will conduct debridement and scaling procedures to clean the areas below your gumline. Ultrasonic devices and hand tools like a scaler are some of the equipment that will be used to perform this task (breaking up calculus and plaque).

A root planing procedure may be necessary if you have bacteria lodged in your teeth’s roots. This process smoothes out the rough patches on your teeth’s root to prevent the buildup of oral bacteria, which increase the risk for the disease.

How many appointments it will take before this procedure is completed will depend on the patient’s calculus and plaque’s extensiveness.

• Oral hygiene routine

Oral experts encourage people with healthy and unhealthy gums and teeth to practice ideal oral care routines daily to avoid outbreaks of oral infections. An excellent oral routine involves flossing at least once every 24 hours, brushing teeth after every meal, and going for regular oral cleanings and checkups.

• Antibiotic medications

There are various medications used to reverse the effects of periodontal disease. Examples of such treatment include:

• Antibiotic gel – With this gel, it’s possible to shrink the deep periodontal pockets and control bacteria invasion because it contains an antibiotic.
• Antiseptic chip – This gelatin chip is categorized as a form of slow-release medication usually put inside the patient’s pockets after a root planing procedure to get rid of bacteria.
• Oral antibiotics – These drugs are available in tablet or capsule form and have to be taken orally. Their use is usually short-termed and is suitable for persons with acute periodontal infection.
• Enzyme suppressant – They are designed to suppress destructive enzymes that destroy the gum tissue.
• Prescribed antimicrobial mouthwash – Such mouthwashes are prescribed to patients who have had surgery and those under gum disease treatment.

Advanced Periodontitis

Sometimes non-surgical periodontal therapy and ideal oral hygiene practices are unsuccessful. In such cases, surgical intervention becomes an alternative option. They may include:

• Tissue and bone grafting – Involves synthetic or natural bone placement to regenerate new bone and gum tissue.
• Flap surgery – It is done to eliminate the calculus that has accumulated in the gum’s deep-pockets, making cleaning easier. During the procedure, a person’s gum is back-lifted to remove tartar and repositioned back in place. If all goes well and the procedure is a success, your gums will have a tight fit around your teeth.
• Guided-tissue regeneration (GTR) – This surgical procedure adopts the use of barrier membranes, which encourage tissue regeneration where they were destroyed by periodontitis.

Book an Appointment

Want to learn more about Non-Surgical Periodontal Treatment? Feel free to call us now to book an appointment with our dentist near you. We also welcome patients residing in West Hills, Chicherster Road, Somerset Street, Liberty Street, Downey Drive, Craven Street, Front Drive, Swan Court, and in surrounding communities.