Preventive Care and Periodontal Therapy

Daily brushing and flossing, and regular visits to the dentist will prevent most periodontal conditions. Periodontal diseases are infections of the gums, which gradually destroy the support of your natural teeth. There are numerous disease entities requiring different treatment approaches. Dental plaque is the primary cause of gum disease in genetically susceptible individuals. Periodontal diseases can be accelerated by a number of different factors. Your health, diabetes, clenching and grinding, medications, poor nutrition, smoking, poor alignment of the teeth and tongue bars, and lip piercings can all contribute to periodontal diseases. Unfortunately, even with the most diligent home dental care, people still can develop some form of periodontal disease. Once this disease starts, professional intervention is necessary to prevent its progress.

Periodontal Therapy

Initial treatment for periodontal therapy is typically scaling and root planing. This treatment removes tartar at or below the gum line. Standard cleanings only deal with the plaque above the gum line. “Scaling” is a necessary first step in the treatment process, and it clears the way for a deeper clean. “Root planing” involves cleaning plaque from below the gum line that is most often the culprits in periodontal disease. Local anesthetics can be used to numb the area for greater comfort. Scaling and root planing are a basic approach to effectively treating the disease and allowing the gums and surrounding bone to heal properly. Collectively, these methods represent the fundamentals of non-surgical periodontal therapy. With simple scaling and ultrasonic cleaning, and some home-care instructions, the gum disease can be eliminated.