There are many different possibilities for treating gum disease: non-surgical treatments, surgical treatments, and drug treatments. It is best to consult with your dentist before making any treatment decisions, as your dentist will be able to offer the best treatment advice after reviewing your specific case.
Non-Surgical Treatments:
Removing plague and tarter during a professional dental cleaning can sometimes take care of gum disease. You may need to have more than two professional dental cleanings a year as well as improve your regular brushing and flossing routine in order to see actual results.
Another type of non-surgical treatment involves deep cleaning through scaling and root planning. Scaling is the scraping away of plaque and tarter. Root planning is a way to eliminate the rough spots on the tooth root. This is generally done for harder plaque that must be removed.
Surgical Treatments:
While there are a number of gum disease surgical treatment options, your option will depend on the kind of damage that your gums have endured. Flap surgery/pocket reduction surgery lifts the gums back and then removes the tarter. Bone grafts involve using small bits of your own bone or synthetic bone to replace bone that has been damaged by gum disease. Soft tissue grafts involve refilling thin gums and adding tissue. Guided tissue regeneration is a surgical procedure that can help stimulate new bone and tissue growth.
Drug Treatment for Gum Disease:
In many cases, drug treatment is used to treat gum disease as a stand-alone treatment or in conjunction with other procedures.
Drug treatments can help to reduce not only pain, but also bacteria caused by gum disease. It can also help to stop the destruction of the bone and tooth connection by preventing further gum decay.
There are also drug treatments that can help to prevent pockets in the mouth, plaque and gingivitis. Nonprescription toothpaste is also an option.
Ask your dentist for his professional opinion and take in consideration with the advice given above.
