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Periodontitis is a serious gum infection that can lead to tooth loss and other health complications if not treated promptly. At Duncan Dental, with our two clinics located in Tauranga, we are committed to helping our patients maintain optimal oral health by providing expert diagnosis and comprehensive treatment for periodontitis.
Diagnosing periodontitis involves a thorough examination by your dentist to determine the severity of the disease and to develop an appropriate periodontal treatment plan. Here are the key steps involved in the diagnosis process:
1. Medical History Review: Understanding your medical history is crucial in identifying factors that may contribute to your symptoms, such as smoking or medications that cause dry mouth.
2. Oral Examination: Your dentist will closely examine your mouth to check for plaque and tartar buildup, and to see if your gums bleed easily, which can be a sign of inflammation.
3. Measuring Gum Pockets: Using a dental probe, your dentist will measure the depth of the pockets between your gums and teeth. Healthy gums typically have pocket depths between 1 and 3 millimetres (mm). If the pockets are deeper than 4 mm, it may indicate periodontitis. Pockets deeper than 5 mm are difficult to clean with routine care and often require professional intervention.
4. Dental X-rays: X-rays are essential in detecting bone loss in areas where deeper pockets have been found. This helps in determining the extent of the disease.
Once the diagnosis is made, your dentist may assign a stage and grade to the periodontitis, which reflects the severity of the condition, the complexity of treatment required, and any associated risk factors. This information guides the creation of a tailored treatment plan.
Treatment Options for Periodontitis
The primary goal of periodontitis treatment is to clean the pockets around your teeth and prevent further damage to the surrounding gum tissue and bone. Treatment plans may include non-surgical and surgical options, depending on the severity of the disease.
If periodontitis is detected early, less invasive procedures may be sufficient to manage the condition:
• Scaling: This procedure removes tartar and bacteria from your tooth surfaces and below the gumline. It can be performed using manual instruments, lasers, or ultrasonic devices.
• Root Planing: After scaling, root planing smooths the root surfaces to prevent further tartar and bacterial buildup. This process also encourages the gums to reattach to the teeth.
• Antibiotics: To control bacterial infection, your dentist may prescribe topical or oral antibiotics. Topical treatments could include antibiotic mouth rinses or gels applied directly into gum pockets, while oral antibiotics may be necessary for more extensive infections.
In cases of advanced periodontitis, surgical intervention may be required:
• Flap Surgery: Also known as pocket reduction surgery, this procedure involves making incisions in the gums to fold back the tissue, exposing the tooth roots for more effective scaling and root planing. If necessary, the underlying bone may be reshaped before the gum tissue is stitched back in place.
• Soft Tissue Grafts: If you have lost gum tissue, soft tissue grafts may be necessary to reinforce the gums. This is usually done by taking tissue from the roof of your mouth or using donor tissue and attaching it to the affected area.
• Bone Grafting: When periodontitis destroys the bone around a tooth root, a bone graft may be performed. The graft can be made from your own bone, artificial material, or donated bone. This helps prevent tooth loss and promotes the regrowth of natural bone.
• Guided Tissue Regeneration: This procedure involves placing a special fabric between the existing bone and your tooth to encourage the regrowth of bone that has been lost due to periodontitis.
• Tissue-Stimulating Proteins: In some cases, a gel containing proteins that promote the growth of healthy bone and tissue is applied to a diseased tooth root, helping to restore the integrity of the affected area.
At Duncan Dental, we are dedicated to providing our patients in Tauranga with the highest level of care for periodontitis. Whether through preventive measures, non-surgical treatments, or advanced surgical procedures, our goal is to help you maintain healthy gums and a beautiful smile. If you have concerns about your gum health, schedule an appointment with us today to begin your journey to better oral health.
We are here to help and we are only a phone call away so give us a call today.
