What Is Periodontal Disease?
Periodontal disease is considered a progressive disease for which there is no known cure. Fortunately, it is not necessary to lose your teeth to this disease. If you’ve been diagnosed with periodontal disease, you’re not alone. More than 65% of the population suffers from this disease. Fortunately, modern dentistry knows how to treat periodontal disease.
What Are the Goals of Periodontal Disease Treatment?
The treatment of periodontal disease has three goals:
- Reduce swelling, pocket depth, and infection
- Reattach gums to healthy teeth
- Stop disease progression
What Are the Treatment Options for Periodontal Disease?
Treatment options are considered based on the stage of periodontal disease, on how well the disease and/or patient responded to previous treatment, and on the patient’s general
health. Treatments include noninvasive mechanical treatments, systemic treatments, and surgical treatments. Let’s look at how to treat periodontal disease by discussing each treatment option.
What Are the Noninvasive Mechanical Treatment Options for Periodontal Disease?
Treating periodontal disease starts with prevention. Good oral care—regular brushing, flossing, and rinsing—can prevent periodontal disease.
If you’ve been diagnosed with periodontal disease, regular visits to a qualified, dental expert for professional cleaning and check-ups are the second line of defense. If your dentist finds while cleaning that the disease has progressed to the point of needing additional treatment, he may prescribe scaling and/or root planing.
Scaling and root planing can be done right in the dentist’s office during a regular visit. The procedure includes scraping tartar from the tooth surface both above and below the gum line. Planing is the process of smoothing rough spots on the tooth’s root to prevent the adhesion of bacteria under the gum line. Both procedures can be done with special instruments or lasers. Typically, neither procedure is any more uncomfortable than routine dental cleaning and can be repeated as necessary to slow the progression of the disease.
What Are the Systemic Treatment Options for Periodontal Disease?
From the onset of periodontal disease, systemic treatments may be prescribed in addition to noninvasive or surgical treatment procedures. Over-the-counter mouth rinses to topical antibiotic ointments are the simplest forms of systemic treatments prescribed early in the disease’s progression.
For cases in which periodontal disease has progressed and needs a more aggressive systemic treatment, oral antibiotics may be prescribed. Note, however, that this treatment is usually prescribed for the short term to counter specific periodontal disease symptoms and should not be considered a form of long-term treatment.
What Are the Surgical Treatment Options for Periodontal Disease?
When periodontal disease has progressed to threaten the permanency of individual teeth, surgery may be required. Surgical options for periodontal disease include:
- Flap/pocket reduction surgery
- Bone/soft tissue grafts
- Tissue regeneration
- Bone surgery
As with any health condition for which aggressive treatment has been prescribed, Osborne Family Dental recommends that patients get a second opinion.
Where Can I Get More Information about Treatment Options for Periodontal Disease?
At Osborne Family Dental, our treatment philosophy is “To detect and treat disease as early as possible thus providing the most conservative therapies.” If you’ve been diagnosed with periodontal disease and want to learn more about the treatment options available, contact us to speak with a dental professional. With a thorough examination, Dr. Osborne can discuss with you how to treat your periodontal disease in the most effective way.