What is Periodontitis?

Periodontitis is a common disease that affects the soft tissue and bone supporting the tooth. If the infection is untreated, it will eventually result in tooth loss. Periodontitis is usually the result of poor oral hygiene. It is very important to keep your gums healthy to avoid any tooth decay or loss.

What are the symptoms?

Some symptoms of Periodontitis are:

Inflamed and/or swollen gums
Sensitivity in gums when touched
Gaps appearing in between your teeth
Bleeding when flossing or brushing
Bad breath

Periodontitis Treatment Options

There are mainly two types of treatment for Periodontitis. There is a nonsurgical approach which is for cases that aren't too advanced and surgical approach for advanced cases.

Nonsurgical Treatments

Scaling removes plaque and tartar from your teeth and under your gums. It is usually performed with instruments or a laser.

Root planing smoothes out the surfaces of the root, which helps prevent the buildup of plaque and tartar. This also helps reduce inflammation in your gums.

Antibiotics usually help control the bacteria in your teeth which contribute to periodontitis. There are topical or oral antibiotic options. Topical antibiotics would be either a mouth rinse or gel that is applied in between your teeth. Oral antibiotics would taken in the form of pills, which might be necessary if topical antibiotics don't completely eliminate the infection-causing bacteria.

Surgical Treatments

Flap surgery consistents of very small incisions made in your gum to expose the roots for a more effective scaling and/or root planing.

Soft tissue grafts is used to help rebuild some of the damaged soft tissue that periodontitis has caused you to lose. A portion of tissue is usually taken from another donor or the roof of your mouth and added to the affected areas. This will help prevent the gumline from receding.

Bone grafting is usually performed when the bones have been destroyed from advanced periodontitis. This bone graft again is usually taken from your own bone or from another donor.

How to avoid periodontitis

Simply brushing your teeth properly and flossing daily will most likely prevent any chances of developing periodontitis. The reason is improper oral hygiene habits such as not brushing or flossing leads to plaque and tartar build up on your teeth, which lead to gingivitis. As it progresses, it will eventually lead to periodontitis which turns into a much more serious condition.

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Periodontics