How to treat periodontal disease

Treatment of periodontal disease

Periodontal diseases can have serious consequences on dental health (loosening of teeth, etc.) and even on general health.

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How to react to these pathologies? Doctissimo makes the turn of the available treatments.

Although one can speak of a cure for gingivitis, in the case of periodontitis, currently only stabilization can be achieved. The first measure, which is also an act of prevention, is good dental hygiene.

Then, it will be necessary to go through several steps according to the degree of aggressiveness of the periodontal disease: scaling, brushing, surgery...

Recovering good oral hygiene

Before any treatment of the gums, it is necessary to establish or find a real dental hygiene. Without it, the healing process will not be satisfactory and the treatments will then be ineffective.

This dental hygiene also acts as prevention: the more you take care of your teeth, even before you have problems, the more you will avoid being subject to periodontal disease.

Here are the right things to do:

Brush your teeth and gums in the morning and at night to disrupt plaque and prevent it from developing;

Choose your toothpaste (there are some specially designed for sensitive gums) and your toothbrush (preferably with soft bristles);

Floss daily to remove food debris and bacteria from cavities; supplement with other dental hygiene aids if needed;

See your dentist regularly (at least once or twice a year) to have your teeth cleaned;

Good chewing, tongue movements and speech partially remove the plaque.

Cleaning the mouth with scales

Whether it is gingivitis or periodontitis, the first step is to clean the entire mouth, starting with a deep cleaning.

Your dentist will be able to advise you semi-annually or annually on the frequency that corresponds to your teeth and eating habits.

Scaling is painless and not only prevents gingivitis, but also gives you a brighter smile.

When periodontitis is reached, a more aggressive technique called root planing removes deep calculus and prevents the microbial film from adhering. It is a little heavier and usually requires local anesthesia.

Control infections with mouthwashes

Periodontitis has a strong infectious component; bacteria from the mouth, generally harmless, invade the tissue that supports the teeth, but the tissue is not prepared for it.

Therefore, it is important to control this multiplication of bacteria.

The means at your disposal to fight are simple: antiseptic mouthwashes and even antibiotics in case of aggressive periodontitis or if your dentist considers it necessary.

Note: Not all mouthwashes are equally effective. In fact, in general they are not sufficient to treat because they only reach the areas where conventional brushing is effective, but they are a very useful complement.

Using periodontal surgery

If none of the non-invasive methods have been successful, surgery may be necessary. There are three techniques, depending on the injuries to be treated and the choice will be made with your dental surgeon in order to preserve your teeth and gums as much as possible:

The restoration flap technique consists of removing the gum from the tooth to get closer to the root of the bone.

The surgeon will remove tartar and plaque, and then return to the tooth's surface to polish it perfectly and improve the tooth's bony environment. Finally, this will promote complete healing of the gum on the tooth and thus eliminate the periodontal pocket;

The guided tissue regeneration technique aims to regenerate gum tissue by restoring lost support tissue through the insertion of a membrane (resorbable or not). This membrane forms a barrier within the periodontium and in the space thus created, the new tissue can be re-formed;

The bone filling technique is also used: it allows, when the bone is affected, to replace it with synthetic materials. A flap or regeneration technique is then applied.

In all cases, it is essential to maintain excellent dental hygiene and check the condition of the gums very regularly to maintain a good result.

You will have understood that, to protect yourself from periodontal diseases, the simplest way is still to prevent them!

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