Gum disease, often known as periodontitis, is a dangerous inflammation of the gums. It’s brought on by bacteria that have accumulated & started damaging your teeth and gums. Your bones and teeth may be harmed as periodontitis becomes severe. However, the damage can be stopped if periodontitis is diagnosed & treated early and adequate oral hygiene is maintained.
When should you see a dentist?
“Regular checkups should be performed according to your dentist’s recommendations. Make an appointment with your dentist at the earliest if you observe any periodontitis symptoms. The sooner you start seeking treatment, the higher your chances of reversing periodontitis damage.”- Says Dr. Rajat Sachdeva who is one of the best dentist in Ashok Vihar.
The Diagnosis
Your dentist may use the following methods to evaluate whether you have periodontitis and how severe it is:
- Examine your medical history for any variables that may be contributing to your symptoms, such as smoking or taking specific dry mouth treatments.
- Your dentist will examine your mouth for plaque and tartar accumulation, as well as any signs of easy bleeding.
- Place a dental probe next to your tooth beneath your gum line, frequently at numerous locations around your mouth, to determine the pocket depth of the groove between your gums and teeth. The pocket depth in a healthy mouth is generally somewhere between 1 and 3 millimeters (mm). Periodontitis may be indicated by pockets deeper than 4 mm. Usually pockets with a depth of 5 mm or more than that are difficult to clean thoroughly.
- Check for bone loss in locations where your dentist notices larger pocket depths with dental X-rays.
- Periodontitis can be classified into stages and grades by your dentist based on the severity of the disease, the difficulty of treatment, your risk factors, and your overall health.
Medications
A dentist, a periodontist, or a dental hygienist may provide treatment for this. Periodontitis treatment majorly aims to clean the pockets around infected teeth properly and prevent harm to the surrounding bone. If you combine a regular routine of best oral care practices with the management of health issues that may have adverse effects on dental health and the reduction of tobacco use, you have the best chance of faster recovery & a successful treatment.
Non-surgical options
If your periodontitis isn’t severe, you might be able to get away with less invasive procedures. Non-surgical options to treat periodontitis in Ashok Vihar includes:
Scaling
Scaling eliminates tartar and bacteria from the surfaces of your teeth as well as beneath your gum line. It can be carried out with the help of instruments, a laser, or an ultrasonic device.
Root planing
Root planing removes bacterial byproducts that contribute to irritation and impede healing or reattachment of the gum to the tooth surfaces, as well as smoothing the root surfaces to discourage further tartar and bacteria buildup.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics, either topical or oral, can help reduce bacterial infection. Antibiotic mouth rinses or antibiotic gels used in the space between your teeth and gums or into pockets after extensive cleaning are examples of topical antibiotics. Oral antibiotics, on the other hand, may be required to entirely eradicate infection-causing germs.
Surgical procedures
If your periodontitis is advanced, you may need dental surgery. Surgical options to treat periodontitis in Ashok Vihar includes::
Flap surgery
Your periodontist will make microscopic incisions in your gums to pull a portion of gum tissue away from the roots, allowing for more effective scaling and root planing. Because periodontitis frequently results in bone loss, the underlying bone may need to be recontoured before suturing the gum tissue back into its place. It’ll be easier to clean these places and maintain healthy gum tissue once you’ve healed.
Soft tissue grafts
Your gum line recedes when you lose gum tissue. Some of the damaged soft tissue may need to be reinforced. This is normally accomplished by removing a tiny quantity of tissue from the roof of your mouth (palate) or by connecting tissue from another donor source to the damaged area. This can help to prevent future gum recession, conceal exposed roots, and improve the appearance of your teeth.
Bone grafting
When periodontitis has destroyed the bone that surrounds your tooth root, this surgery is used. The transplant could be made up of small fragments of your own bone, synthetic bone, or donated bone. The bone transplant keeps your tooth in place, preventing tooth loss. It also acts as a platform for natural bone rebuilding.
Tissue regeneration
This allows bone that has been damaged by germs to regenerate. A unique piece of biocompatible cloth is placed between existing bone and your tooth in one method. The substance keeps non-healing tissue out of the healing area, allowing bone to regrow instead.
Tissue-stimulating proteins
Another method is to use a specific gel to treat a sick tooth root. This gel supports the creation of healthy bone and tissue by including the same proteins present in developing tooth enamel.
