Periodontal Treatment and Maintenance
Find Relief for Sore, Bleeding Gums with Periodontal Therapy
Every day you brush. Some days you floss. What used to be a quick, painless routine has turned into a painful, bloody mess, and you’re not quite sure how it happened. Why are your gums so sore? Why do they bleed every single time you brush or floss your teeth? They’re even sensitive to touch, some days. What on earth is going on?
You may have the same issue that half of Americans suffer from: gum disease. This stealthy and chronic disease starts out with few or no symptoms but can progress to cause significant damage–even death–to gum tissue and teeth.
Fortunately, Life Smile Dental Care offers treatment for gum disease and can repair damage caused by the condition. We offer a full range of periodontal treatments to help you keep your symptoms under control and prevent the kind of damage that leads to tooth loss. With regular appointments for periodontal maintenance, you can rest assured that everything is being done to restore the health of your gums and keep your teeth strong.
Knowing What to Expect
Periodontal treatments are often tailored to each patient’s specific needs. They may include a combination of cleaning treatments (scaling and root planing), medication, and surgical options. When we assess your state of health, we will design a treatment plan to address your specific symptoms and reduce the level of bacterial infection in your gum tissue.
Since gum disease is a permanent condition, you should be prepared for periodontal maintenance appointments to be a regular part of your oral health regimen. The interval for appointments may vary based on the severity of your symptoms, but gum disease is a life-long diagnosis that requires vigilant maintenance.
Deep Cleaning (Scaling and Root Planing)
Gum disease is caused by bacteria colonizing and damaging the gums. A periodontal cleaning, also called deep cleaning, removes the plaque, bacterial toxins, and calculus (tartar) from below the gum line. Root planing is also commonly performed during periodontal treatments, to smooth and reshape the roots of the teeth. This gives bacteria fewer small crevices to hide within and can lessen the amount of bacteria that will reinfect the gums.
This procedure is performed under a local anesthetic, so you shouldn’t feel any discomfort during the process. It may leave your gum tissue sore for a few days, but will result in less bacteria in the mouth, and give your gums the chance to heal and better defend themselves in the future.
Medication
As part of a combined effort to reduce bacterial infection, you may be prescribed antibiotic medications and anti-microbial rinses to use. Please follow all instructions with these medications to ensure they can do their job properly. Fighting periodontal disease often requires several approaches, and using medication properly is an important part of your treatment.
Surgical Treatments
Depending on the severity of your symptoms in different areas of your mouth, your doctor may recommend surgical treatments to restore your teeth, gums, and bone to a state of good health. These may include:
- Flap Surgery/Pocket Reduction Surgery – This procedure is used to remove tartar from tooth roots and reshape the gum tissue so bacteria have less space to lodge in periodontal pockets.
- Gum Grafts – When gum tissue has been lost to bacteria, grafting new tissue in its place can help stabilize and protect the teeth.
- Bone Grafts or Bone Surgery – Gum disease eventually damages the bones that support the teeth and gums. When bone tissue has been damaged or destroyed, a number of surgical approaches may be used to restore the health of your jaw bone.
Home Care for Periodontal Disease
There are a few things you can do at home to keep your symptoms under control.
- Brush your teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste.
- Floss daily. Many periodontal patients look for more user-friendly and effective methods of flossing, such as oral irrigators or water flossers. Talk to your doctor or hygienist about the best way to floss your teeth.
- Use all medications and rinses that have been prescribed to you.
- Follow all your doctor’s recommendations and schedule your periodontal treatments on the recommended schedule.
To learn more about periodontal treatments, schedule an appointment at Life Smile Dental Care. Gum disease may be a serious condition, but together with your dentist, you can take control of your symptoms and restore the health of your gums.