Gum Disease Treatment
Gum Disease Treatment
Gum disease treatment is a common treatment module that is implemented to salvage teeth that are periodontally involved i.e. with some degree of gum disease. Gum disease itself has varying degrees and categories and almost 95% or more of the general population has some gum disease in one way or another. Gingivitis or gum inflammation is considered the most basic of gum disease and is normally marked by gum bleeding most notably during brushing. Gum disease is a pathology that can affect the population from a wide range of ages and factors and it can be directly proportional to the amount of care you give your oral cavity.
Gum disease has a number of signs and symptoms. Among them are
- Gum bleeding
- Gum Swelling
- Tooth Mobility or Shaky teeth
- Receding gums giving the appearance of “long tooth”
- Sensitivity
- Halitosis or bad breath
If you think you have any of the symptoms above or a combination, do kindly consult your dental professional for a thorough examination.
If your dentist diagnoses you with gum disease, he will advise you to undergo gum disease treatment which again can be of several types. They can be simply categorized as
- General Scaling and Polishing
- Deep Scaling and Root Planing normally under local anesthesia with or without topical antiseptic mouth rinse
- Deep Scaling and Root Planing with the administration of systemic antibiotics and antiseptic mouth rinse
- Gum Surgery under local anesthesia
- Tooth extraction
The gum disease treatment modalities have been categorized from the treatment of mild gum disease to the more severe ones as they go down the list. The importance of gum or gingival health has often been understated due to the over emphasis on the prevention of caries or tooth decay. This could be attributed to the fact that gum disease is more often than not a “silent disease” in its early stages unlike tooth decay which normally presents as sensitivity, pain and unsightly spots on the tooth or teeth. As such, this has led to a phenomenon where more and more teeth are being lost not because of tooth decay but because of the loss of support for the teeth from the dento-alveolar complex surrounding the teeth. This happens when lousy oral hygiene or gum care leads to inflammation of the gums which in turn leads to destruction of the bone in the dent-alveolar complex. This in turn causes the teeth to become more and more mobile. Gum disease is a vicious cycle which if not stopped will eventually result in the loss of the teeth involved.
Though gum disease treatment are normally carried out by your general dentists, severe or complex cases may be referred to the gum specialist or periodontist for treatment and management.