Treating gum problems
Periodontal disease, more commonly known as gum disease, is a progressive inflammatory disease of the gingival and the surrounding tissue around the teeth. Periodontal disease is the number one cause of tooth loss after the age of 30. It is believed that around 80% of the population above the age of 30 may suffer from this disease, with varying degrees of severity.
The gingivitis is the first stage of periodontal disease wherein there is a mild inflammation of the gingival caused by plaque build up. Once the inflammation spreads to the supporting alveolar bone, it is now on the mild periodontitis stage. Minor bone loss and the formation of periodontal pockets, or food traps, can occur. Moderate Periodontitis will have increased gingival recession, moderate to deep pockets, moderate to severe bone loss, and mobility of teeth due to the bone loss. The most serious stage of periodontitis is the severe periodontitis where deep pockets, increased mobility of teeth, movement of teeth out of position, and visible fistulas (boils) become present in this stage. Pus may be developing, bone loss continues, and the teeth may loosen or fall out.
If the disease is still in the first stage which is gingivitis, your dentist may prescribe an anti-microbial mouthwash and advise you to brush and floss on a regular basis. Dental scaling and polishing may be performed for the prevention of periodontal diseases or other dental diseases. The treatment may include plaque detection, removal of supra- and sub gingival plaque and calculus, application of caries-preventing agents, checking of restorations and prostheses, correcting overhanging margins and proximal contours of restorations, and checking for signs of food impaction.
If gingivitis cannot be cured with antibiotics, surgery may be needed to treat such condition. A gingivectomy can be done to remove and reshape loose, diseased gum tissue to get rid of pockets between the teeth and gums. Periodontal Flap Surgery, also called pocket depth reduction, can be done where the periodontist folds the gum back away from the tooth. It is recommended in many cases if pocketing depths have reached a level that makes maintenance or cleansing difficult. Soft tissue grafts can be used to cover roots or develop the gum tissue. During this procedure, the periodontist takes gum tissue from your palate or it can be from another donor source to cover the exposed root. This is possible for one tooth or several teeth to even your gum line and reduce sensitivity. Hard tissue grafts is for cases of gum recession where a graft is usually taken from the palate and transplanted onto the affected area. This reinforces the thin gum so that it will not recede further and may even help to cover the exposed root. It can also reduce tooth sensitivity and even improve the aesthetics of your smile.
In some instances, the nonsurgical process of scaling as well as root planning is that is required to deal with gum illnesses. Surgery is required once the tissue close to your teeth gets harmful and can’t end up being fixed along with nonsurgical choices.
As defined, gingivitis is the inflammation of gums due to bad oral hygiene. Check out what best we can do about gingivitis with the help of OraMd team.