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The foremost goal of treatment of gum diseases is to control infection.
The type of treatment varies, according to the extent of gum disease.
Any type of treatment requires the patient to keep good daily oral
hygiene at home. Moreover, modifying certain behaviors, such as quitting
tobacco use, might also be recommended as a way to get better treatment
results.
Non-surgical treatment:
- Scaling and Root Planing :
Professional cleaning means scraping off the tartar from above and
below the gum line of teeth, and Root planing gets rid of irregular
spots on the tooth root where the germs collect, and helps remove
bacteria that contribute to the gum diseases.
- Oral Hygiene Instructions - proper
brushing, flossing, inter-dental brushing.
- Medications - are used to destroy
the microbes that cause Periodontitis or hold back the destruction
of the tooth's attachment to the bone. In some cases, a dentist will
recommend a mouth rinse containing a chemical called chlorhexidine
to help control plaque deposition. There are also antibiotic gels,
fibers or chips, which are directly applied to the infected pocket.
- Splinting – for mobile teeth
- Coronoplasty – for correcting any
traumatic bite
Surgical treatment:
- Curettage - Scraping
away of the diseased gum tissue in the infected pocket, this allows
the infected area to heal and gums to become firmer.
- Periodontal flap surgery
- Surgery might be needed if inflammation and deep pockets remain
after treatment with deep cleaning and medications. The flap surgery
involves lifting back the gums and removing the tartar deposited in
deep pockets. The gums are then sewn back in place so that the
tissue fits snugly around the tooth. This method reduces the pocket
and areas where bacteria grow and make it easier for the patient to
keep the area clean.
- Bone grafts - used
to restore bone lost due to Periodontitis. Small fragments of your
own bone, synthetic bone, or donated bone are placed where bone was
lost. These grafts serve as a platform for the re-growth of bone,
which stabilizes the teeth.
- GTR (Guided Tissue
Regeneration) - It stimulates bone and gum tissue growth. In
combination with flap surgery, a small piece of mesh-like fabric is
inserted between the bone and gum tissue. This keeps the gum tissue
from growing into the area where the bone should be, allowing the
bone and connective tissue to re-grow and support the teeth. Bone
grafts may or may not be used in combination.
- Soft tissue grafts -
reinforce thin gums to fill the space where the gums have receded.
- Bone (Osseous) Surgery
- it is smoothening of shallow craters in the bone due to moderate
or severe bone loss. During the flap surgery, the bone around the
tooth is reshaped to decrease the craters, this makes it difficult
for bacteria to gather and grow.
- Gingivectomy/Gingivoplasty
– To correct gum contour
Other Common Measures for Treating Gum Disease
- Scaling and Root Planing
Professional cleaning means scraping off the tartar from above and
below the gum line of teeth, and Root planing gets rid of irregular
spots on the tooth root where the germs collect, and helps remove
bacteria that contribute to the gum diseases.
- Curettage Scraping
away of the diseased gum tissue in the infected pocket, which allows
the infected area to heal.
- Medications are used
to destroy the microbes that cause periodontitis or hold back the
destruction of the tooth's attachment to the bone. In some cases, a
dentist will recommend a mouth rinse containing a chemical called
chlorhexidine to help control plaque deposition. There are also
antibiotic gels, fibers or chips, which are directly applied to the
infected pocket.
Surgical treatment
- Bone grafts used to
restore bone resorbed due to periodontitis. Small fragments of your
own bone, synthetic bone, or donated bone are placed where bone was
lost. These grafts serve as a platform for the re-growth of bone,
which stabilizes the teeth.
- Soft tissue grafts
reinforce thin gums to fill the space where the gums have receded.
- Guided tissue regeneration
It stimulates bone and gum tissue growth. In combination with flap
surgery, a small piece of mesh-like fabric is inserted between the
bone and gum tissue. This keeps the gum tissue from growing into the
area where the bone should be, allowing the bone and connective
tissue to re-grow and support the teeth.
- Bone (osseous) surgery
it is smoothening of shallow craters in the bone due to moderate or
severe bone loss. During the flap surgery, the bone around the tooth
is reshaped to decrease the craters, this makes it difficult for
bacteria to gather and grow.
- Flap Surgery might
be needed if inflammation and deep pockets remain after treatment
with deep cleaning and medications. The flap surgery involves
lifting back the gums and removing the tartar deposited in deep
pockets. The gums are then sewn back in place so that the tissue
fits snugly around the tooth. This method reduces the pocket and
areas where bacteria grow and make it easier for the patient to keep
the area clean.
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