What is Periodontal Treatment?
Periodontitis, or gum disease, is a severe gum disease that causes damage to the soft tissue as well as causes destruction to the bone that supports the teeth. Periodontitis can cause loose teeth and even tooth loss. Periodontitis is very common but can easily be prevented with proper dental hygiene like brushing twice a day, flossing daily and getting regular checkups and periodontitis is usually caused by poor oral hygiene. However, Periodontitis can be treated with periodontal treatment.
Periodontal treatment can be performed by a periodontist, a dentist, a periodontology expert or a dental hygienist. The way periodontitis is treated is through thorough cleaning of the pockets around teeth to prevent further damage to the surrounding bone. Many periodontics experts have stated that periodontal treatment is shown to have increased success when proper oral care is taken alongside as well as stopping the usage of tobacco.
Symptoms of Periodontal Disease
Seeing as Periodontitis affects the gums, most of the symptoms of periodontitis involve damage or deformities of the gum such as:
- Swollen or puffy gums
- Red and even purplish gums
- Gums that feel tender
- Easily bleeding gums
- Pus between teeth and gums
Aside from symptoms in the gums, there are other symptoms that can be felt during daily life such as:
- Bleeding when brushing or flossing your teeth
- Chewing becomes painful
- The way you bite changing because of the gum receding from the teeth
- Loose teeth
- Bad breath
- a metallic taste in the mouth
Benefits of going for early Periodontal treatment
Many people discover that they suffer from periodontitis early on but neglect to seek proper treatment for it as they assume that it is just a minor convenience and continue with their lives until it begins to cause moderate pain or discomfort before seeking appropriate medical attention. Whether it be due to lack of knowledge, ignorance or monetary causes, delaying periodontal treatment for periodontitis will only cause further lasting irreversible damage to the gums and teeth.
Periodontal treatment should be scheduled early on when any symptoms of periodontitis is discovered as it provides an intensive cleaning of the mouth and gums that helps break down bacteria and restore health to affected areas of the mouth and gums. The treatment can even remove pockets of bacteria that are usually very hard to reach to prevent further damage to the gums and tooth. Early Periodontal treatment can also halt the onset of further disease caused from untreated periodontitis as the bacterial infection will be removed which allows for regular oral hygiene practices to cleanse the mouth properly again. If a person suffering from periodontitis suffers from loss of functionality of certain areas of the mouth because of severe uncomfortable pain, periodontal treatment can restore functionality by removing the bacteria which was causing the immense pain.
Periodontal Disease can be life threatening
Most people assume that periodontal disease will only affect the gums and hence isn’t very serious. However, if left untreated, periodontal disease may lead to other afflictions, some being life threatening. Gum disease when left untreated can extend below the gum line and affect the body as white blood cells which are supposed to attack the bacteria eventually begin damaging the gum tissue as well. In extreme cases, the bacteria from gum disease may get into the bloodstream and infect the heart valves which has deadly implications.
Studies have shown that people with gum disease are also more likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes, alzheimer’s and other conditions. With all this in mind, why risk causing further damage to the body when proper oral care and early periodontal treatment can prevent potentially life threatening outcomes.