2 Non-Surgical Treatments For Periodontal Disease

Dentist Blog

If your gums bleed when you brush your teeth, you may have problems with gingivitis. Gingivitis is the first stage of periodontal disease, and it is the stage at which the problem can still be cured. Once it moves past gingivitis, your periodontal disease can't truly be cured; it can only be treated so that it doesn't get any worse than it already is. There are a number of treatments that your dentist can use to help treat your periodontal disease. Some of the treatments are surgical in nature, while others aren't. It's likely that your dentist will try going with the non-surgical treatments first since they are going to be the least invasive. 

Scaling

One thing your dentist might do to treat your periodontal disease is to scale your teeth. When they do this, they are going to scrape off all the bacteria and tartar that has built up on the tooth's surface and under the gums. Doing that will help to keep the disease at bay because the bacteria feed on the plaque on your teeth and under your gums. Since it is difficult for you to get to everything that is hiding under your gums, having your teeth scaled will eliminate the stuff you can't reach. Your dentist may use tools to scale your teeth, but it is also possible to do it using lasers. 

Root Planing

Root planing is another non-surgical intervention that your dentist might try. Often, root planing and scaling happen at the same time, but they don't have to. When your dentist planes the roots of your teeth, they are smoothing down the rough surfaces on your roots. The reason to do this is that the rough surfaces give the plaque something to grab onto. Then the bacteria can get a good foothold on the plaque because the rough surfaces also make it easy to miss all of the plaque and bacteria when you are brushing your teeth. If the surface is smooth, it's going to be much harder for the plaque to find an area to cling to, and it will make it easier when you brush your teeth. 

If you are worried about gum disease, then you should go see your dentist as soon as possible. You want to get it diagnosed while you are in the gingivitis stage because then you can cure the problem and work on reversing the damage. Once you have reached the periodontal stage, you and your dentist will have to come up with appropriate treatments. 

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8 July 2021

Mouth Rinses Are Not Just for Bad Breath

I have always brushed and flossed my teeth daily, but I still had the occasional cavity when I visited the dentist for a check-up. He told me it was normal to have a cavity on occasion and that I shouldn't let it stress me out too much. Well, I am not one to just accept any problem I am having, so I started looking into how to improve my oral hygiene even more. I had always thought mouthwash was just to improve your breath, but I found some that said they helped keep cavities away. I started using one every day before bed. I haven't had a cavity in two years now, and I think the mouth rinse is the reason! I created this blog to remind other people that even if they brush and floss regularly, they can always find ways to take even better care of their teeth.