Treatment
Gum disease treatment
Can gum disease be treated?
In most cases it can be treated successfully, however, we cannot cure it. Similar to other auto-immune diseases such as diabetes, there is not cure but by controlling the disease we can prevent further damage and allow you to keep your teeth for a very long time. But is can be controlled, as long as you keep up the home care you have been taught. Any further loss of bone will be very slow and it may stop altogether. However, you must make sure you remove plaque every day, and go for regular check ups by the dentist and hygienist.
Why is Treatment so Important?
Your dentist is very experienced at detecting and managing gum disease. However, some forms of gum disease are quite aggressive and resistant to routine treatments carried out by a general dental practitioner. Periodontists undergo years of training and have experience in carrying out advanced procedures to more effectively manage diseases.
What services does a periodontist offer?
The Periodontist will undertake a detailed assessment of the gum disease, and will provide you with all the options for treatment together with the prognosis for your teeth.
Treatment options include:
Non-surgical periodontics; cleaning underneath the gum-line. This is often done with local anaesthetic so that it is not painful, although it can be sore afterwards. This is called Root Surface Debridement, and is carried out in sections of the mouth over 1-3 appointments.
Surgical periodontics; this option is needed in certain cases – a small cut in the gum allows better access underneath the gum-line in order to remove as much bacteria as possible and promote healing. This also allows us to regenerate the bone in some special circumstances.
Periodontal regeneration
Periodontal plastic surgery
Crown lengthening
A full surgical and restorative implant service