Periodontal diseases are those infections found in the structures around the teeth but not in the actual teeth themselves. The structures around the teeth that are affected by these infections include the gums, the alveolar bone and the periodontal ligament.
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When it comes to treating periodontal disease, the treatment will have to go through three phases. The phases include the following;
Phase 1: The Etiological phase
In this phase, the treatment will focus on controlling the infection and restoring the healthy microbiota that should be there. Next, your dentist will look at what they think may be the cause of the periodontal disease to address the root of the problem. Also, you will be educated about what you have to do for home care during this phase, including taking care of your overall health. If you smoke, you will also be required to stop smoking at this point and maintain excellent oral hygiene.
Procedures like scaling and root planing will also occur at this phase of treatment; it is the point where the dentist will clean your teeth deeply and remove plaque and calculus. If necessary, medication can be prescribed.
Phase 2: The surgical phase
This phase of treatment is adopted when conservative treatments are not effective. It will most likely happen if the pockets of infection are too deep to clean. This phase will be assessed between 4-8 weeks after initial treatment.
Surgery could include shallow bone defects being levelled or regenerative surgical techniques used for deep bone defects. The major aim of these surgeries is to remove the pockets of space between the teeth and the bone that can be broken down or destroyed through periodontal disease. In turn, this eliminates the room for tartar or bacteria to fester. Through general anaesthesia, the surgery can be carried out.
Phase 3: The maintenance phase
This phase focuses mainly on preventing the infection from returning. This is because there is a high recurrence rate of the infection.
Here, your dentist will detail the oral hygiene practices you need to follow carefully, and they include brushing your teeth properly and flossing daily. They also involve cleaning your teeth, being careful not to miss any spot, and using mouthwash to kill off any leftover bacteria.
For some individuals, they would have to enter a restorative phase if extensive surgery was needed. Here, implants or prosthetics may be inserted if teeth were extracted or if a large amount of tissue had to be removed. A follow-up orthodontic treatment will also help to align your teeth properly.
The treatment you will have to undergo for periodontal disease depends on the severity of the periodontal disease.
