How is Periodontal Disease Treated?
Periodontal disease is a bacterial infection that penetrates into the gums and into the bone around your teeth, causing inflammation. Periodontal inflammation leads to bone loss, and possibly tooth loss, and may contribute to other serious medical conditions.
The periodontal infection must be removed and the area given a chance to heal. There are generally two levels of treatment for this condition depending upon the severity of your infection.
Non-Surgical Therapy: Scaling and Root Planing
Scaling & Root Planing is often referred to as a "deep cleaning", however, it is very different from a routine dental cleaning that only addresses the visible portion of your teeth. Scaling & Root Planing removes plaque and tartar (also known as calculus) from under the gumline and smoothes the root surfaces to promote healing. To ensure your comfort, the procedure is often done under local anesthesia.
In some cases, topical antibiotics are used in isolated areas to improve healing after the area is scaled and root planed. In most cases of early gum disease, scaling and root planing in addition to continued daily cleaning at home will achieve a satisfactory result of reversing gum disease.
Lower Level Infection Removal
If your infection has spread into the bone that supports your teeth, and is below the level that can be reached with "Scaling & Root Planing", then a surgical/laser procedure must be performed to retract the gums and remove the lower level infection.
With the WaterLase MD Laser, Dr. Vora can now precisely target and remove the diseased tissue, resulting in less post-operative discomfort and a faster recovery time.
