Periodontics and Periodontal Disease

Periodontics and Periodontal Disease

Periodontal Disease affects three out of four people at some point in their life. It is the second most prevalent disease after the common cold. The disease is diagnosed by measuring the pocket depth around the teeth and with X-rays. The earlier the detection, the more favorable the treatment. Generally, periodontal disease is not painful and, therefore, may go undetected for many years until all or most of the bone support has been lost. At that point there is usually nothing left to do but extract these teeth.

The chief cause of periodontal disease in adults is bacterial plaque. This plaque is a soft, sticky film of germs that live on the teeth, both above and below the gum line. Bacterial plaque leads to infection of the gums. The plaque produces tarter and toxins. Tarter is a mineralized (rock-like) deposit that forms on the teeth and toxins are similar to poisons; both tarter and toxins become absorbed onto the root surface and irritate the gum tissue.

Periodontal Therapy is aimed at reducing or eliminating bacterial infection around your teeth. Our office does this in three ways: 1) Maximizing your oral hygiene techniques (brushing and flossing) to reduce the numbers of bacteria around the teeth. 2) Reducing the pocket depth around your teeth by root planing and/or surgery. This reduces or eliminates the particular bacteria that cause periodontal disease within the pocket area. 3) Maintenance after active periodontal therapy is the removal of bacteria below the gum line every three months. This keeps the bacteria at low levels and helps prevent reoccurrence of disease. We are also able to identify new areas of disease and initiate early therapy if necessary.

The goal of periodontal therapy is to achieve a condition in which your gum tissue is healthy, and you are able to keep it that way on a daily basis. This means there is minimal pocket depth and bleeding of the gum tissue and you are effective in removing the plaque from the teeth. The results of periodontal therapy for most individuals are very effective. There is a better prognosis and less disease reoccurrences with early detection and appropriate periodontal therapy. These patients keep the majority of their teeth over a lifetime. However, if you start periodontal therapy with little bone support (late stages of the disease) or have a very active form of disease (about 4 out of 100 treated patients) your treatment outcome may not be as predictable.

Successful tooth retention results from appropriate periodontal therapy and patient cooperation. Both are needed to achieve long-term success. There are no quick fixes for periodontal disease, only therapy throughout life. You must attain excellent regular oral hygiene skills and comply with maintenance visits after active periodontal therapy. The benefits of both our efforts will be periodontal health and the comfortable function of your teeth.