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gum-disease-treatment

How Gum Disease Is Treated?

Gum disease or periodontitis is a severe oral condition. Be it kids or adults, having gum disease requires urgent medical attention. If left untreated, it can destroy the bones that support your teeth, and they start becoming loose. But don’t worry, gum disease is common, but you can prevent it with the proper treatment. So let’s discover the possible treatment options which are available and that you need to know today!

Can Gum Disease Be Cured? 

Some recent studies have concluded that over 50% of Americans have gum disease or have infected gums at some point. These conditions have led them to lose a tooth, which is the ultimate result of ignoring gum disease for a prolonged time. Although it’s preventable, you need to be prompt enough to know the major symptoms of gum disease. If treated quickly, you can reverse gum disease and regain your lost oral health. 

How Much Time Does Gum Disease Treatment Take?

Although gum disease can be treated, the timespan of treatment highly depends on the severity of your condition. However, it has been found that patients complying with their dentist’s recommendations get to recover at a faster pace. Sometimes, people often get results within 2-3 weeks. However, more severe periodontitis stages tend to take longer results. 

Treating Gum Disease

Non-surgical Treatments

Scaling And Root Planing

If you have advanced gum disease and want to opt for a non-surgical prosthodontic procedure, then scaling and root planing is the one for you. It’s a non-surgical procedure that helps remove tartar that adheres to your teeth. After scaling and root planing, you need four to six weeks to heal and get it done at least twice a year. Doing this will prevent bacteria and tartar build-up effectively.  

Antibiotics

Yes, you read that right- gum disease can be treated with antibiotics, although it’s not the sole treatment procedure. Adhering only to antibiotics won’t help you eliminate gum disease; you must also opt for other possible treatment methods to treat your gum disease properly. Here are some of the most common antibiotics which dentists tend to recommend for gum disease:

  • Tetracycline hydrochloride
  • Doxycycline
  • Minocycline 

Using antibiotics helps you reduce gum inflammation and helps in blocking collagenase, which is responsible for destroying connective tissue. 

Surgical Treatments

Flap Surgery 

Flap surgery is most recommended if you have moderate to severe gum disease. It effectively removes plaque build-up and tartar around the roots, restoring your gum tissue’s health. If non-surgical procedures have not worked on your teeth, then flap surgery can help you effectively prevent gum disease. It’s also important to note that flap surgery helps create an environment for maintaining your periodontal health effectively and is not considered a cure for periodontal disease. 

Soft Tissue Grafts

Some notable causes of gum recession include poor tooth positioning and overbrushing. Patients with gum recession can get treated with soft tissue grafting. Thus, with soft tissue grafting, you can combat gum recession and reduce the effects of gum disease effectively. 

Dental Bone Grafting

Dental bone grafting helps to increase the number of bones in your jawbone. It’s done to replace lost bones, which support your teeth but can’t any longer because of severe gum disease.

Guided Tissue Regeneration

GTR, or guided tissue regeneration, is one of the advanced surgical procedures for treating severe gum disease. The purpose of GTR is to effectively remove bacteria infection, thereby stimulating the regrowth of healthy bone and gum tissue. The treatment method involves using an artificial membrane that acts as a barrier. This barrier allows new growing tissues only to the bone area and prevents unnecessary fast-growing tissues. 

Tissue-Stimulating Proteins

Dentists often use tissue-stimulating proteins for treating gum disease or periodontitis. In this treatment procedure, your dentist will apply a special gel to the diseased tooth root. The gel that is used comprises the same proteins that are present in your tooth enamel. This surgical procedure helps stimulate the growth of healthy bones and tissues, reversing gum disease’s effect. 

The Bottom Line 

Gum disease has become a leading cause of tooth loss in adults. As the disease progresses, the pockets in your gums get dependent and destroy a considerable amount of gum tissue and bones. Don’t let this happen to you- Schedule an appointment with your dentist for treatment plans. Before you lose most of your teeth because of severe gum disease, contact your dental professional and seek expert advice on how to reverse periodontitis. 

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