Periodontitis is not just sore gums. Periodontitis is an active infection that affects the tissues, bone, and support system that hold your teeth in place. Periodontitis treatments at Prostho Endo Dental Group include careful assessment, thorough planning, and a focus on protecting oral health and function for our patients in North Bethesda, MD. Periodontal disease treatment goes beyond the obvious to identify what is leading to the disease and what can be done to halt its progression. Bleeding or swelling of the gums, gum recession, loose teeth, bad breath, and bone loss may require periodontal treatment, and we can begin with a discussion of what is happening and why, providing treatment options to meet your individual needs and goals.
Periodontal Disease & General Health
In the mouth, periodontal disease begins with bacterial buildup around teeth and triggers inflammation. The body may respond by attempting to combat the infection, and this may result in loss of gum and bone tissue and place strain on the body’s immune system. Periodontal treatment may be part of overall wellness care for our patients with other chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, or immune system disorders.
Periodontal treatment at Prostho Endo Dental Group does not begin or end with the mouth. We will consider your health history, medications, risk factors, and dental health as we assess and diagnose periodontal disease. Periodontal disease treatment at Prostho Endo Dental Group is not about cleaning just the surface of your teeth, but also removing infection in areas beneath the gumline and preventing disease from recurring, and providing periodontal health education and treatment plans that are customized to you.
We want you to know as much about periodontal disease and periodontal treatment as we do, so that we do not need to explain it as “periodontal disease” or “periodontal treatment” and everything makes sense.
Early Periodontal Disease Diagnosis
Often, periodontal disease does not become apparent until pockets are deeper, gum recession becomes obvious, teeth become more mobile, or bone loss becomes apparent. Bleeding while flossing or brushing can often be an indicator of periodontal disease, and other symptoms may include bleeding, inflammation, changes in bite, tenderness, swelling, or bad breath.
Periodontal disease is most successfully treated when it is caught in the early stages. During a periodontal disease screening, we will review periodontal charting, which includes measuring the depth of your gum pockets, looking for bleeding and gum recession, and taking and reviewing x-rays showing the supporting bone around your teeth to determine if your gum disease is mild, moderate, or advanced.
This can help us explain periodontal disease to you in a clear and understandable way that allows you to make informed treatment decisions.
Preventing Bone Loss & Tooth Loss
Tooth stability is dependent on healthy bones. Periodontal disease can eventually move past the gumline and destroy bone around the roots of teeth. Periodontal disease can result in mobile teeth and a changing bite, and without periodontal treatment, loose teeth may need to be extracted. It is often an unexpected revelation for a patient to discover that a significant amount of bone supporting their teeth has already been destroyed when they view their x-rays. Treatment for periodontitis is intended to stop this cycle of destruction and to reduce bacterial load, reduce gum inflammation, and promote a healthier oral environment.
The health of the periodontal ligament is also relevant to the health of our restorative and endodontic procedures. For example, a tooth that needs crowns, bridges, root canal therapy, or implant planning needs to have healthy periodontal conditions before any treatment can be started. We are mindful of the relationship between periodontal therapy, restorative and endodontic therapy, and the risk of future issues.
For many patients, periodontitis may be treatable with non-surgical periodontal therapy, which may include non-surgical periodontal debridement (scaling and root planing) – a thorough cleaning to remove deposits, bacteria, and irritants that have collected along the tooth surface beneath the gumline and in the pockets created by periodontitis. Root surfaces are cleaned and smoothed so that the gum tissue is able to heal and reattach more snugly around the teeth.
Periodontal debridement may be performed in quadrants or sections of the mouth to ensure that the treatment is more comfortable and effective. After periodontal treatment, a patient will continue with regular visits to see their periodontist for periodontal maintenance. This type of treatment is not designed as a substitute for a typical professional dental cleaning. In fact, periodontal maintenance may require a more regular schedule and more extensive treatment for some patients.
These appointments serve to control plaque and bacteria in locations that cannot be adequately cleaned in the home and also to reduce the amount of irritants that cause periodontal disease. The intervals between professional cleaning can differ by patient and depend on a number of factors, including the degree of bone destruction, the depth of periodontal pockets, the number of sites in the mouth being treated, and the response to periodontal care. Periodontal maintenance is necessary to prevent periodontal disease from returning or worsening.
Other patients may be candidates for periodontal therapy because their periodontitis may require extensive treatment due to a number of factors, including advanced periodontal bone loss, periodontal recession, loose teeth, failing restorations, and lack of periodontal treatment in the past. Some patients also have other oral conditions that overlap with periodontal therapy, such as root canal treatment or failing root canal therapy, missing teeth, and dental crowns and other restorations that have been placed over a periodontal pocket. These are all complex dental issues.
For these patients, the Prostho Endo Dental Group is able to provide care due to our extensive training in treating complex dental conditions. The periodontal status of an area of the mouth is assessed in the same visit as tooth structure, occlusion, endodontic status, restorative needs, and treatment plans. Periodontal disease, tooth infection, and tooth structure are treated in a timely and efficient manner to reduce the risk for future disease, failure, or other oral health concerns.
This is very important for patients who have multiple dental conditions that they feel are unmanageable because treatment can help create an efficient and comprehensive plan to address multiple dental issues in the mouth. Implants require the support of healthy bone and healthy gum tissue. Implants may become infected and may suffer a loss of tissue support, in a similar way that teeth lose support with periodontal disease. It is estimated that up to 42% of patients who receive dental implants may develop peri-implantitis.
Peri-implantitis occurs when bacteria accumulate around implants. Implants may suffer bone loss if peri-implantitis is not addressed. While this infection will not impact implants as it does teeth, this is a concern because a healthy oral environment will promote longevity of the dental implant. It is important for patients who have a history of periodontitis to take extra measures to prevent peri-implantitis. During your regular periodontal exams and maintenance visits at Prostho Endo Dental Group, we pay close attention to the health of your implants.
This includes checking the condition of the gums surrounding implants and assessing the bone levels if necessary. We’ll also teach you how to properly clean around your implant restorations. Periodontal health is a major factor in the long-term preservation of implant placement for those in North Bethesda, MD, who have dental implants or who are considering implants.
Long-Term Periodontal Stability & Prevention
Treating periodontitis successfully means more than simply having the symptoms subside. Periodontal disease is a chronic disease, meaning it always needs to be monitored and controlled. Even if the signs of inflammation reduce and your gums heal somewhat, the disease process will likely recur if maintenance appointments and home care are irregular. Long-term success requires professional oversight along with good home care habits.
Prevention may involve using the best brushing technique, cleaning the teeth daily with a Waterpik or floss, using an antimicrobial agent when needed, and having maintenance visits regularly. Our team will also discuss how your general health and lifestyle might play a role, such as smoking, xerostomia (dry mouth), diabetes, and clenching/grinding. We can help reduce the risk of a recurrence by looking at these causative factors, not merely treating the disease when it resurfaces.
Comprehensive Care For Lifelong Gum Health
Periodontal care is most impactful when incorporated into a thorough dental plan. At Prostho Endo Dental Group, we understand that gum health is essential to all aspects of dentistry, from the health of natural teeth to the support of restorations, crowns, bridges, implants, and endodontics. Gum inflammation and the loss of bone support can ultimately undermine restorations that were initially well designed.
Our team will help you understand how your periodontal findings are related to your overall oral health needs. For example, we’ll let you know which teeth are stable, where close observation is needed, and what treatments should be addressed in the shortest possible time. Having a logical, sequenced treatment plan can help alleviate concerns about being pressured for unnecessary treatment. Periodontal treatment is simply one part of your care in the overall effort to maintain oral comfort, function, aesthetics, and smile confidence.
Choose Prostho Endo Dental Group For Periodontitis Treatment
Selecting the right place for periodontitis treatment can significantly impact your oral health. At Prostho Endo Dental Group, we offer comprehensive, straightforward periodontal care that is designed to promote the health of all of your teeth. Periodontal assessments are combined with restorative and endodontic expertise, helping you understand what treatment is needed and why.
If you have bleeding gums, gum recession, loose teeth, a change in your bite, or other changes in dental treatment that worry you, we can help you move forward confidently. Prostho Endo Dental Group is here to provide periodontitis treatment that will control the disease, maintain the health of your teeth, and provide lasting care for healthy teeth and gums.