Added: 12/09/2005 |
A Short Review of Gum Disease TreatmentsGum disease treatments can be surgical or non-surgical. It depends on how much the disease has progressed. Only the earliest form of gum disease, which is gingivitis, can be completely cured. In all other cases, dentistry professionals can only slow down the evolution of the disease. The successful gum disease treatments depend not only on the dentistry specialist's level of competence, but also on the effectiveness of the daily oral cavity care that is provided by the patient.
In order to discover an incipient gum disease, you must visit your dentist at least twice a year for regular checkups. During your checkup, your dentist will remove plaque and tarter from your teeth. If any signs of gingivitis appear, it may be recommended that you have teeth cleanings more often. Your dentist may recommend that you also use special products that help to fight gingivitis. If there is bone loss or detachment of the gums from the teeth, the most effective treatment is a non-surgical procedure called scaling and root planning.
These kinds of gum disease treatments are used smoothing out rough spots on the root of the tooth where germs collect. It also scrapes the plaque and tarter from places that can't be gotten to through the regular tarter and plaque removal procedures. The smooth and clean surface of dental roots helps gums to reattach to the teeth. After this procedure, the use of an antiseptic rinse is recommended.
In more advance stages of gum disease, there might be a necessity to apply surgical gum disease treatments. The basic gum disease treatments are pocket reduction procedures, flap surgery, regenerative procedures, crown lengthening, soft tissue grafts, and bone grafts.
Flap surgery consists in lifting back the gums and reducing the pocket spaces that are formed between the teeth and the gums. Bone grafts are tiny fragments of bone that is your own bone or bone that is donated that is used to replace bone that is destroyed by the pathological process. Soft tissue grafts fill in the places where the gums have receded. Crown lengthening is used for removing excess gum tissue and making a bigger surface that is accessible for daily cleaning.
Although advanced pathological processes in gums can't be cured, correct surgical and non-surgical gum disease treatments are essential to expand the life of your teeth. Gum diseases must be taken seriously because they are risks to your overall health. Different studies demonstrate the involvement in gum disease in heart attacks, stoke, diabetes, pre-term births, lung infections, weakening of the immune system, and of course, tooth loss. Therefore, gum diseases can't be ignored, they must be properly treated or better yet it needs to be prevented.
Gum disease prevention is the easiest and cheapest way to avoid complications. There are many simple rules that must be respected to keep your teeth healthy. They include flossing daily, brushing your teeth two times a day for at least two minutes., regular checkup with your dentist, avoiding smoking and chewing tobacco, avoiding taking some medicines long term because they have a tendency to give you dry mouth and other things.
You must ask your dentist to give you detailed information and particular directions on the proper care of your oral cavity.
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