When your dentist tells you to brush and floss regularly, it is meant for your overall oral health. The bad bacteria in your mouth are not just detrimental to your teeth but to your gums as well. If you’re not careful, gum disease develops and becomes worse over time. Soon, an advanced stage of periodontal disease occurs, which may cause complications such as tooth loss. But is gum disease curable? You will need to visit a periodontist right away to determine which stage your disease is at. Learn more by reading this blog!
Is Gum Disease Treatable?
While gum disease is not essentially curable, it is possible to treat it and eliminate the consequences. In short, you cannot cure periodontal disease; you can receive treatment to steer clear of further damage. Depending on your condition, home treatments or surgical procedures are used to treat the disease.
You should contact a periodontist as soon as you notice gum disease symptoms. Regardless of the level, you’ll need medical attention to stop the disease in its tracks. Treating periodontal disease as soon as possible because it prevents irreversible damage. The more you wait, the worse your condition will become!
Treatments for Gum Disease
When plaque and tartar accumulate on your teeth and gum line, it gives birth to periodontal disease. Your gums start looking red and swollen, along with bleeding, while you brush or floss. Gum disease may be reversible if diagnosed at an early stage, but an advanced level brings forth additional complications. Your periodontist will examine your gums and decide which treatment to proceed with.
- Non-Surgical Treatments
If you have early-stage gum disease, called gingivitis, the following nonsurgical treatments might be effective:
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- Dental Prophylaxis: Routine dental cleaning that gets rid of the buildup on your teeth and gums, including tartar, plaque, and bacteria.
- Scaling & Root Planing: A process to remove plaque as well as tartar lingering on the gum line and teeth through deep dental cleaning.
- Antibiotic Therapy: Placing antibiotic medications in the periodontal pockets helps fight the infection through a procedure called antibiotic therapy. It can be used as a standalone and combined with other treatments to eliminate the effects of periodontal disease.
- Laser Periodontal Therapy: A tiny laser that targets the diseased tissue is used in laser periodontal therapy to kill the bacteria present underneath the gums.
- Surgical Procedures
Non-surgical treatments might be ineffective when the periodontal disease reaches a moderate or advanced stage. In that case, the following surgical treatments for gum disease might work:
- Flap Surgery: The periodontist pulls the gum tissue away from teeth for a short while, removing tartar build-up and thoroughly cleaning the root surfaces. Once they’ve cleaned it, they’ll stitch the gums back in position.
- Bone Grafting: You may experience bone loss in teeth as a result of advanced gum disease, which will require bone grafting.
- Gum Grafting: Gums affected by recession are often treated with the help of gum graft surgery.
What’s Next?
It is possible to treat gum disease in the early stages. However, if it reaches an advanced stage, periodontal treatment is necessary to stop the damage and reverse the effect of gum disease. Your periodontist can determine which treatment is most suitable for you.
At Smile 4 Ever Family Dentistry, we offer procedures that are effective and improve your oral health. You can talk to us now at (281) 213-5668 or give us a visit at 14715 TC Jester Blvd, Houston, Texas 77068.