Can You Reverse Periodontal Disease?

Preventing Gum Disease in Morehead City, NC

Periodontal disease – commonly called gum disease – is a serious infection that damages your gums and can even destroy the jawbone if not treated properly. This disease can lead to tooth loss and is a risk factor for heart and lung diseases. Periodontal disease is common and will start off as Gingivitis. Periodontal disease cannot be reversed; it can only be treated. This is why we must catch gingivitis in its early stages so that we can prevent periodontal disease from happening. Sound Dental in Morehead City strives to educate our patients so their oral health can remain in good shape. 

What causes periodontal disease?

The main cause of periodontal disease is usually poor hygiene. When you have poor brushing and flossing habits, plaque builds up on the teeth and hardens over time. This hardened plaque is called tartar, and regular brushing and flossing cannot remove tartar once it is formed. The only way to remove tartar on your teeth is to come into our office and have our dental professionals remove the tartar. Without treatment, this bacteria will eventually cause inflammation of the gums and can lead to other health issues.

How can you treat periodontal disease?

There are many ways to treat periodontal disease, and it usually depends on the patient and where their oral health is when they come into our office for treatment. Both surgical and nonsurgical treatments are available. If your periodontitis isn’t advanced, treatment may involve less invasive procedures, but if your disease is advanced, treatment may require oral surgery. 

Nonsurgical Treatments

• Scaling: Scaling removes tartar and bacteria from tooth surfaces and beneath gums. It can be done using instruments or a laser. 
• Root Planing: Root planing smooths the root surfaces, discourages further buildup of tartar and bacteria, and removes bacterial byproducts that contribute to inflammation. 
• Antibiotics: Topical or oral antibiotics can also help control bacterial infection and is an option for certain cases of Periodontal Disease. Topical antibiotics can include mouth rinses or antibiotic gels inserted between your teeth and gums. Oral antibiotics may be necessary to completely eliminate infection-causing bacteria.

Surgical Treatments

• Flap Surgery: your periodontist will make tiny incisions in your gum so that a section of the gum tissue can be lifted back, which exposes the roots for more effective scaling and root planing. Once you heal, it’s easier to clean the areas that were affected and maintain healthy gum tissue
• Soft Tissue Grafts: When you have advanced periodontal disease, your gum line recedes, exposing more of the tooth. To fix this issue, your dentist can remove a small amount of tissue from the roof of your mouth and attach it to the affected area. This can help reduce further gum recession. 
• Bone Grafting: This procedure is necessary when periodontitis has destroyed the bone surrounding your tooth root. This helps prevent tooth loss by holding your tooth in place and also serves as a platform for the regrowth of natural bone.

Whether your periodontal disease is minimal or advanced, Sound Dental can help reduce your symptoms and get you smiling again. We care about your oral health and want to educate our patients so that we can catch these diseases as early as possible. If you have any more questions about periodontal disease, please contact our office so we can discuss it further.