Surgical And Non-Surgical Treatments For Periodontal Disease
Depending on the stage of periodontal disease that you are currently experiencing, there are two basic ways in which we treat these conditions – non-surgically and surgically. While the non-surgical methods focus on controlling bacterial growth, surgical treatment focuses on restoring the bone and gum’s supportive tissues. Here are the most common types of each treatment that we recommend.
Non-Surgical Treatments
The primary treatments that we recommend for periodontal disease do not involve any type of surgical procedure. These include:
- Professional cleaning – during your visit to our dental office, the plaque and tartar above and below the gum line is removed by the dental hygienist or dentist. If you are showing the signs of periodontal disease, visiting the dentist more than your regular bi-annual visits will usually be recommended.
- Root planing and scaling – although non-surgical in nature, plaque and tartar located above and below the gum line are scraped away in a scaling procedure. This is a deeper cleaning form of treatment and usually requires the administration of a local anesthetic. Planing is the smoothing out of any rough spots found on the roots of your teeth. This helps the gums to re-attach themselves to the teeth.
Surgical Treatments
In the more severe cases of periodontal disease, we have to recommend certain surgical procedures as treatment for the condition including:
- Bone grafts – these serve as a platform for generating bone growth and restoring the stability of your teeth. Donated or synthetic bone as well as your own bone material is used to replace what periodontal disease has destroyed.
- Bone surgery – performed when a patient has developed shallow bone craters resulting from advanced to moderate bone loss. It is sometimes performed after a patient has undergone flap surgery (see below) and makes it difficult for any bacteria to collect in those areas and grow.
- Flap/pocket reduction surgery – reduces the amount of space between the gums and teeth to decrease the chances of harmful bacterial growth.
- Guided tissue regeneration – stimulates the growth of bone and gum tissue that has been destroyed by periodontal disease. This is normally done in conjunction with flap surgery (see above) and keeps gum tissues from expanding into the areas where bone should be growing.
- Soft tissue grafts – fills in the areas where the disease has caused the gums to recede and helps to reinforce thinner gum tissue.
If you are concerned about periodontal disease or have already been diagnosed with it, we suggest you make an appointment with us to evaluate your condition. We will be able to recommend the proper course of action for correcting the condition.