Periodontics Treatment Ellicott City, MD

What Are Symptoms Of Periodontal Disease?

Symptoms can come on silently. Periodontal disease was originally called Trench Mouth. This term came from WWI. The soldiers didn’t have very good oral hygiene practices when they were in the trench waiting to fight for their country. They came back from war with severe dental problems and the term fit.

It starts with bleeding and sensitive gums (gingivitis). The main cause of this is not removing the plaque build-up on the gumline of the tooth. Plaque starts building up from eating and drinking any foods. The plaque forms into tartar (calculus) and the gingiva (gums) begin to be irritated. The tartar has to be removed with a dental instrument by a dental health professional, otherwise, more tissue damage can occur.

Currently, there are several kinds of toothpaste on the market that have chemicals to soften the tartar build-up, however, the best way to remove all of it is seeing a dental health professional with advance gum treatment. Other symptoms can be more obvious. These include severe bleeding, extreme tartar build-up, tooth mobility (loose teeth), bad breath, and some pain. This stage is periodontitis or trench mouth.

How Do I Fix Periodontal Disease?

Periodontal disease can be stopped. However, bone loss will have to be grafted to be replaced. Root planing is a procedure where the portion of the root that is exposed because of bone loss is scaled and all debris such as tartar and plaque are removed. Root planing is done by a dental hygienist and is done before any surgeries or dental implant restoration can be done.

Cleaning and root planing along with good oral home care will stop the progression of periodontal disease. If a tooth was lost because of periodontal disease it can be replaced with an individual implant or other prostheses. Dental implant restoration depends on enough bone structure to secure the implant properly. These restorative procedures will take place a few months after all the deep cleaning and advance gum treatment is completed. Your mouth is broken up into four quadrants and each quadrant has deep cleaning and advance gum treatment done.

The dental hygienist will give at least two weeks in between each quadrant to heal and proper home care completed. Then proceed to advanced gum treatment that might include grafting or reshaping by surgical resculpting or removal. Regular cleanings and check-ups will show what healing has taken place and all the major cleaning won’t be needed any longer.

Treatments may need to continue for some time. At this point, you will be evaluated for dental implant treatments. A treatment plan you and your dental health provider will put together will be sent to your insurance company to get approval and then the business office professionals will discuss what fees are associated with your treatment plan.

Conclusion

Any care is important to your overall dental health. Some medicines can even cause swollen gums and the need for periodontal treatments and advanced gum treatments. It may not be caused by tartar build-up.

Periodontal issues can be serious and tooth loss is almost always imminent in untreated gum diseases no matter the cause. Preventing gum disease with regular brushing and flossing at home is the best way to prevent it. It is best to start any time to stop the progression and get the treatment you need to have the smile you deserve. Be sure to see your dental health care provider in Ellicott City for regular check-ups and cleanings.