Treatment for Gum Disease

If you are in the earliest stage, gingivitis, a higher frequency of ordinary dental cleanings may be sufficient. By removing tartar before it has a chance to work deep beneath the gums, and through vigilant home care, the gaps between gum and tooth can be lessened.

Periodontitis generally requires deeper and more serious treatment to get at plaque and tartar that has lodged itself further beneath the gums than normal. With topical anesthetic, however, this procedure will seem no more difficult than a typical cleaning. Called dental scaling, this deep removal of tartar is aimed at preventing further bone loss and degradation of the root. While dental scaling can be completed in one visit, it is best for patient comfort to schedule two or four procedures, treating either half or a quarter of the teeth at a time. Scaling may also be accompanied by root planing, a process that removes crevices for bacteria in the roots. As frightening as that may sound, with modern dental techniques it is usually completed very quickly and without pain.

While this process is very safe if you are in good health, the dental scaling and root planing can introduce bacteria from the gums into the bloodstream. Therefore, antibiotic precautions may need to be taken with patients at increased risk for infections: those with heart problems, liver disease or a compromised immune system due to an illness, such as HIV.

Advanced periodontal disease requires the attention of a gum specialist, or periodontist. Surgery on the gums may be necessary to reduce the size of pockets and prevent further decay and bone loss.