Periodontal or gum disease is common and affects more people today than before. Gum disease is an umbrella term that describes a wide range of conditions from gum inflammation to severe soft tissue damage. Regardless of the stage of the disease, one thing is clear, you need an immediate dental solution and periodontal treatment is the right treatment for the problem.
Although periodontal treatment seems to be a complicated form of treatment, it’s not. It is a service provided by most dental clinics including ours—Perio Health Professionals.
We have board-certified periodontists who provide periodontal treatment in Houston, TX to all patients depending on the severity of the problem. Before you come for a dental evaluation, it would do you good to know what periodontal treatment is and what it entails.
What is Periodontal Treatment?
When the plaque builds, it causes bacteria to spread to the gums which may cause pockets to form; this is gum disease.
Proper dental hygiene can help eliminate plaques. However, when you have gum disease, brushing, though important will not help. Only an advanced dental solution such as periodontal treatment can remedy the situation. Periodontal treatment, therefore, is a treatment done to clean the tartar from the teeth and gums to control bacteria.
How The Treatment Is Done?
Periodontal treatment is done in phases depending on the severity of the gum disease and they include:
- Evaluation – During the initial dental appointment, our periodontist will examine your dental health and condition. From the evaluation, we will determine the form of treatment that you will need as several options are available both surgical and non-surgical.
- Root scaling and planning – The first step of your periodontal treatment is root scaling and planning or deep cleaning. This nonsurgical procedure is done to clean plaques and tartar. Plus, it also prevents bacteria from spreading.
At Perio Health Professionals we also use laser therapy to clean off the bacteria. With this treatment, our periodontist will use a laser light to target the affected area. Laser therapy is non-invasive and causes less bleeding.
- Surgery – Surgery is an option if the conventional treatment fails to work or if your gum pockets are too deep to clean. The goal of the surgery is to remove the spaces and the affected bone eliminating the pockets of bacteria to fester.
Several options are available such as bone and tissue graft. This procedure is done if the periodontal disease caused bone or tissue loss. A synthetic or natural bone may be used to stimulate bone growth.
We may also perform a flap surgery which is ideal if you have moderate to severe gum disease. The procedure involves cutting the gum and cleaning them of bacteria.
Other forms of periodontal surgery are gingivoplasty for reshaping healthy gums and gingivectomy that removes excess gums to make cleaning easy.
Is the Treatment Painful?
Well, this will depend on the choice of periodontal treatment. However, you may experience a little discomfort during cleaning, but our periodontist will use local anesthesia to numb the area.
Are There Risks?
Your gums may feel sore after treatment, but you should feel better after a few days. You may also have tooth sensitivity which requires a tooth-sensitive toothpaste to ease the discomfort.
What to Do After the Treatment?
Maintenance is very crucial to the success of the treatment as the rate of recurrence is high. Furthermore, you need to have a dental evaluation every three months instead of the recommended six months.
If extensive surgery was done, you may require restorative dental treatment such as prosthetics or dental implants. The orthodontic treatment will help to realign your teeth and make them easy to clean.
Why Do You Need Treatment?
Gum disease may lead to the extraction of your affected teeth. Furthermore, the disease can increase the risk of other health problems such as respiratory or heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
Early treatment of gum disease can help prevent loss of teeth and also preserve your dental structure. If you are looking for a periodontal treatment at Houston, TX, contact us to schedule an appointment.