What are some gum disease treatments?

 Many Americans have periodontal disease and don’t know it. One of the reasons for this is that gum disease is often painless for the individuals who have it. The condition can go unnoticed for a long period of time and advance to the point that gum and bone damage occurs and is irreversible. On the other hand, if gum disease is identified early enough, it can be treated. One of the common treatments for gum disease is scaling and root planing.

The best way to identify gum disease is to schedule regular dental visits. During routine checkups, your dentist will assess your gum health. One common test is to examine if there are spaces between your gums and teeth. It is normal for healthy gum tissue to have a shallow space between the teeth and gums, generally 3 millimeters or less. If gums are unhealthy and infected they may start to pull away from the teeth, forming larger gaps, or “pockets”. Part of the danger is that more plaque may collect in these pockets.

If your dentist identifies pockets and diagnoses gum disease, they will likely suggest a treatment plan or refer you to a dentist who focuses more specifically on gum disease treatment. Your dentist’s actions will likely depend on how advanced the progression of the gum disease is and your overall health.

One common procedure to combat gum disease is scaling and root planing. If your dentist identifies gum pockets that are greater than 3 mm they may choose to perform this procedure. Scaling is the process of removing plaque and tartar that is identified beneath the gum line. Scaling is like a very deep cleaning for your gums. Because this procedure is a little more invasive your dentist may administer a local anesthetic in order to help minimize any discomfort that the procedure may cause. The scaling procedure is done with a small instrument called a scaler or an ultrasonic cleaner. During the procedure your dentist will work to remove plaque and tartar that has built up in the periodontal pockets.

After the scaling has occurred and the pockets are cleaned out, your dentist will smooth the surface of the tooth’s root. This step is called root planing. A root with a smooth surface is more difficult for plaque to gather and stick to.

This two-step process of scaling and planing allows the gum tissue to heal free from bacteria and also is a defense against future plaque build-up. After the scaling and root planing procedure your dentist may suggest or prescribe you medications to help make sure you don’t develop an infection and to help with pain. The gums need time to heal, but your dentist will encourage you to have a follow-up visit a few weeks after the procedure. Your dentist will assess the health of the gums and look for the size of the pockets to decrease. If the size of the pockets has not been reduced to less than 3 mm if may be necessary for your dentist to perform additional treatments.