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What is Periodontal Therapy?
Gum Treatment in New York City
Periodontitis is a serious gum disease that affects the tissues around a tooth, leading to tooth loss and decay. More commonly known as gum disease, it’s believed that nearly 80% of those over thirty are afflicted with this disease. If periodontitis goes untreated or a doctor fails to diagnose it, it can progress to catastrophic levels and cause extensive tooth and gum damage.
What Causes Periodontitis?
Gum disease can be caused by numerous factors. The most common cause is poor oral hygiene. By not removing plaque through daily dental hygienic practices and dental cleanings, bacteria can call your teeth a home. Other causes include:
- Hormonal changes during pregnancy or puberty can make you more susceptible to gum disease
- Bad daily habits such as teeth grinding or jaw clenching
- Medical conditions that inhibit the body’s ability to produce sugar, such as diabetes or kidney disease
- Poor saliva flow due to medications that result in a dry mouth
How Can Periodontitis Be Fixed?
Through methods such as restorative dentistry, which includes several laser surgery treatments, and non-surgical periodontal therapy, the damage caused by gum disease can be halted and reversed.
While surgical methods can lengthen crowns for aesthetic purposes, the goal behind non-surgical periodontal therapy is to remove plaque and restrict the growth of harmful bacteria. If gum disease is caught early, often this is all that’s needed.
Periodontal therapy strategies include:
- Antibiotics – The most effective method of combating periodontitis is by controlling, reducing and eliminating bacteria and bacteria growth through antibiotics. It can be applied directly to the infected area in the form of a powder or an antibacterial mouthwash can be prescribed
- Scaling – Removing plaque from the teeth directly below the gumline
- Root Planing – Allows tissues to reattach to the surface of your teeth
- Bite Correction – An improper bite can catalyze tooth decay.
Periodontal disease can lead to the loss of one or numerous teeth. If you are experiencing symptoms of periodontitis, such as bleeding gums, sensitive or red gums, bad breath, and loose or shifting teeth, it’s imperative that you schedule an appointment immediately to have your gums evaluated.
Learn more about Periodontitis by reading our Gum Disease Frequently Asked Questions.
If you feel you may have gum disease, please contact our Manhattan office today for an initial gum treatment consultation.
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