Finding a cure for periodontitis
The gum tissue should fit snugly around each tooth, just like a turtleneck sweater that fits around the neck. When periodontitis begins to destroy the supporting bone and tissue, the gum tissue stretches out, allowing bacteria-filled pockets to form around the teeth. These pockets become progressively deeper and more infected over time. This would then lead to further tissue and bone loss. To successfully treat periodontal disease, these pockets must be cleaned thoroughly from any bacteria to prevent more damage.
A lot of people who suffer from periodontal disease can be successfully treated by non invasive therapies. If a person has pockets between the teeth and gums that are about 5mm or less in depth, he is a good candidate for scaling and root planing, and are times in conjunction with antibiotic therapy. Moreover, if that person consistently practices good oral hygiene at home, then this may be the only periodontal treatment they need.
The two non invasive surgeries can be done by a professional. Scaling is the process of removing tartar and bacteria from the tooth surfaces and beneath the gums. It is performed using different dental instruments or an ultrasonic device. Root planing on the other hand is a process of smoothing the root surfaces, discouraging further accumulation of tartar. In addition to the two non invasive procedures, the dentist or dental hygienist may prescribe antibiotics and other medications to help control the bacterial infection on the mouth.
There have been recent advances in topical antibiotic treatments that have the capability to reduce the need of systemic medications that increases the likelihood of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Some dentist recommends antibiotic mouth rinses while others may insert threads and gels containing antibiotics into the space between the teeth and gums or into pockets after deep cleaning. Although additional research is very much needed, these products have been proven to lower the bacterial levels and may be able to help prevent future problems and treat periodontal disease.
There are times however that a person has a more advanced periodontitis. This is characterized by the depth of the pockets between the gums and teeth which is more than 5 mm. During this phase, the gum tissue may only respond to surgical treatments. Pocket reduction surgery is one of these procedures where the dentist makes tiny incisions in the gum so that a section of gum tissue can be lifted back, exposing the roots for more effective scaling and planing. Soft tissue grafts is another process where it replaces the damaged tissue by removing a small amount of tissue from the palate and attaching it to the affected site. Bone grafting is a procedure performed when disease has destroyed the bone surrounding the tooth root. The last one is the guided tissue regeneration where it allows the bone destroyed by bacteria to regrow.