Periodontal diseases are any infection that happen in the structures around the teeth, though the infection has not spread to the teeth themselves. This means that your periodontal ligament and gums will have the disease. It will often progress from gingivitis, which only goes after the gums, and then move to other parts of the mouth. Some symptoms you may notice of this disease includes:
- Painful chewing
- Bad breath that won’t go away
- Swollen gums
- Bleeding gums
- Teeth that are sensitive
There are several different treatments that your dentist can discuss depending on how severe the disease is.
The Etiological Phase
The treatments used in this are all about controlling the infection. You will be told how to handle the gums and teeth while at home. Root planning and scaling will also happen so the dentist can clean the teeth and remove plaque during the visit.
The Surgical Phase
If the first set of treatments were not enough, your dentist may discuss surgery with you. This often happens if the infection are too hard to clean. Your dentist may decide to do this sometime between four and eight weeks after the initial treatment. The goal of these surgeries is to help clean the teeth so they can start healing.
Follow-up and Check up
This is where you and your dentist focus attention on preventing the disease from coming back at all. If you do not properly maintain your care, then it will come back. You need to follow all of the oral hygiene that your dentist recommends.
Periodontal disease can be painful and hard to work with. But with the help of your dentist and proper care of your teeth, you can enjoy healthy teeth in no time.