Once you’ve been diagnosed with gum disease, the periodontist will determine what the ideal treatment for you is depending on how advanced the disease is. There are two main treatment options:

Non-surgical: If gum disease is diagnosed early on, then this is the treatment that will work for you. It involves deep cleaning of the areas where your toothbrush can’t reach and where calculus has been deposited. This procedure is called scaling and root planing and helps remove the germs that led to the disease.

Your periodontist could also prescribe you medications in addition to the cleaning method applied, but currently there are studies being conducted to see if they have long-term effects.

Surgical: Flap surgery or pocket depth reduction will be necessary if the tissues and bones are severely damaged. The goal is to remove tartar formed in the deep pockets and reduce the pockets. Another procedure is applying tissue grafts, which means replacing the destroyed gum tissue.
Please remember that left untreated, periodontal disease may seriously affect your mouth’s health as well as your overall health. Periodontics is just another area in which we are specialized so don’t hesitate to seek treatment at the earliest sign by giving us a call.