The type of gum disease treatment you’ll need will depend on the severity of the gum disease. Some may be able to resolve the issue by improving their oral hygiene, while others will need help from their periodontal dentist.
Gum Disease is the inflammation of your gums caused by the a build up of plaque on your teeth. There are various different stages of gum disease, starting with gingivitis, the least severe form, all the way to periodontal disease, which can lead to tooth loss.
How to treat Gum Disease?
Home Care
If you are seeing the early signs of gum disease (gingivitis), we recommend seeing your dentist for some professional advice. Gingivitis can be reversed if caught in time. There are some steps you can take at home that may be able to reduce the problems you are facing. Your own oral hygiene routine is going to be imperative in curing your gum disease.
The best place to start with improving your oral hygiene is by concentrating on these two easy steps;
- Brush your teeth twice a day, and for 2 minutes each time. Find out more about how to brush your teeth correctly to reduce the symptoms of gingivitis you are seeing.
- Ensure you are using floss or interdental brushes once a day. This will ensure you are removing all food particles in between your teeth.
The next time you see your dentist ask them for guidance on improving your oral hygiene routine at home.
Dental Treatment
On top of home care, you will need to see your dentist for some professional care. It is really important to get this seen to before it gets any worse. If left untreated, it will lead to periodontal disease, which can end in tooth loss.
The following are potential steps your dentist or periodontist will work on depending on the severity of the disease.
Scale and Root Planing
Your dentist may recommend a deep clean on your teeth. This will ensure to remove all of the plaque and tartar that has built up on your teeth. There are two stages of cleaning for treating gum disease.
The first part is scaling. This is the removing of built up plaque and tartar on the teeth, above and below the gum line.
The second part of the deep clean is root planing. The bacteria products that build up due to inflammation are removed from the gums. The tooth root is then smoothed out to help the gum to reattach to the tooth. This will stop further build up of plaque and tartar.
Again, depending on the severity of your gum disease, this may need to be done over a series of visits.
Dental Restoration
In some cases, previous mouth treatment you have had could be causing your problems, and ultimately leading to gum disease. This includes mis-aligned dental implants and crowns. If these are mis-aligned, it may be stopping you from removing plaque from your teeth correctly while brushing. If this is the case, you may need to get these adjusted to ensure you can clean your teeth properly and reduce the severity of the gum disease.
Surgical Treatment
In some severe cases, surgery may be needed. Below are some the surgical treatments for advanced periodontal disease…
Flap Surgery (Pocket Reduction Surgery)
During this procedure, gums are lifted back to expose the roots of the teeth. As above, scaling and root planing is then carried out. Irregular surfaces are smoothed out to limit places for the bacteria to hide in the future. Once the gums have healed, it is easier for you to clean and maintain healthy gums.
Soft Tissue Grafts
A common symptom of severe gum disease is receding gums. In this treatment, soft tissue is taken from the roof of your mouth, and placed where the gums are receding. This provides reinforcement to thinned out gums due to the disease.
Bone Grafts
A bone graft may be needed if the disease has destroyed the bone structure surrounding your tooth. This graft will help prevent tooth loss, and also acts as a platform for the regrowth of new bone.
Several bone graft materials are available for use, including bovine bone xenograft, human bone allograft, or your own bone taken from another area of your jaw bones.
Guided Tissue Regenration
This procedure stimulates the regrowth of bone that was destroyed due to the disease. In this treatment, flap surgery is performed first. Once this is done, a small piece of fabric is placed between your tooth and existing bone. This stops gum tissue growing in the healing area, allowing bone to grow back instead.
Ongoing Gum Disease Treatment
To ensure you don’t get gum disease, or worse yet, periodontitis, your own daily hygiene routine is so important. This needs to be made a priority each and every day. On top of this, you should see your dentist every 6-12 months for a check-up. By following these two steps, you are on the right track to ensure you have healthy oral hygiene.
If you think you are seeing any signs of gum disease, we recommend seeing your dentist straight away. You may experience bleeding gums for other reasons than gum disease, but if the bleeding doesn’t stop after a few days, it is time to get it checked out.
If you have any questions in relation to gum disease treatment, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.
