Periodontal Treatment Options

Treatment Options

If you've been diagnosed with gum disease, there are a variety of treatment options depending on the details of your situation and the severity of the problem. We always start with the least invasive options, which are non-surgical. However, in more serious cases, surgery may be necessary.

Non-Surgical Treatment

Scaling and root planing is one of the most effective non-surgical ways to treat gum disease. Scaling and root planing is a meticulous cleaning of the root surfaces below the gum line to remove plaque, toxins and tartar from the root surfaces of the teeth. This procedure is more intensive than a routine general dental cleaning, which traditionally occurs every six months.  In this procedure, an ultrasonic cleaning device is often used to remove plaque and tartar from above and below the gum line (scaling). Then, the rough surface of the roots are smoothed (planed). This provides a healthy, clean surface that makes it easier for the gum tissue to re-adhere to the tooth.

If you address your gum disease before it becomes severe, scaling and root planing may be the only treatment you need. However, as with any dental procedure, after-care is vital. In order to keep your teeth in good shape and resist future occurrences of gum disease, you must brush and floss daily, eat a healthy diet, avoid tobacco use, and have regular periodontal maintenance. Even after a successful scaling and root planing, if you don't attend to your teeth properly, it's quite likely that you'll develop gum disease again.

Surgical Treatment Options

If the tissue or bone surrounding your teeth is too damaged to be repaired with non-surgical treatment, several surgical procedures are available to prevent severe damage and to restore periodontal health. Dr. Crum will recommend the procedure that is best suited to the condition of your teeth and gums. Following is a list of common types of periodontal surgery:

• Pocket Depth Reduction
  In a healthy mouth, the teeth are firmly surrounded by gum tissue and securely supported by the bones of the jaw. Periodontal disease damages these tissues and bones, leaving open spaces around the teeth that we call pockets. The larger these pockets are, the easier it is for bacteria to collect inside them, leading to more and more damage over time. Eventually the supportive structure degrades to the point that the tooth either falls out or needs to be removed.

  During pocket reduction procedures (also known as “flap surgery”), we fold back the gum tissue and remove the bacteria hiding underneath, as well as the plaque and tartar that have collected. We may also remove any tissue that is too damaged to survive. We then stitch the healthy tissue back into place. Now that the tooth and root are free of bacteria, plaque, and tartar, and the pockets have been reduced, the gums can reattach to the root surface.

• Regeneration
  When the bone and tissue supporting the teeth have been lost due to severe periodontal disease, we may be able to restore these areas with a regenerative procedure. During this process, we begin by folding back the gum tissue and removing the bacteria, plaque and tartar. Depending on your situation, we may then perform a bone graft to stimulate new bone growth, or we may apply a special kind of protein that stimulates tissue growth to repair the areas that have been destroyed by the disease.