Many people are afflicted by gum concerns of one sort or another. In many such instances, things would be okay if folks had simply addressed the root of the problems with their gums. Though general dentists are often able to handle complaints in this realm, there are situations that do in fact demand the services of a specialist practitioner. Periodontists are the professionals best able to prescribe and perform periodontal treatments that work.
Frequently, gum disease is the result of deficient long-term oral hygiene. The good news is that things can be spotted at an early stage, harm can generally be reversed with a few easy steps. Gingivitis still in its infancy can be treated with daily flossing, twice-a-day brushing sessions and the use of a high-grade mouthwash. Dental professionals can provide good instruction in how best to brush and floss the teeth and will recommend just the right mouthwashes to use. You might even be advised to use a prescription mouthwash to get to the heart of the matter.
When gum disease is not identified until its later stages, brushing more effectively is probably not enough to solve the problem. If a substantial infection develops, more significant periodontal treatment is almost certainly in the cards. If disease has infiltrated the zones surrounding the teeth, a number of procedures are available for providing relief.
Infection must be eliminated from the pockets near the teeth. The way to accomplish this is by doing root planing and scaling. This entails much more than the type of routine cleaning done at a family dental practice. Local anesthetic will be necessary, given the complexity of the procedure.
If infection has gone into bone, surgical treatment will surely be recommended. Rather than using just a deep clean, scaling or other solution, a periodontal professional will have to retract the affected gums to eradicate all signs of infection.
For many patients, gum disease has simply been left too long without adequate treatment. When this is the case, bone structure and density can be lost. Grafting can be used to address such a scenario. Fortunately, this tends to only be used in the most serious of situations. Luckily, most will not require such dramatic action, but the possibility does serve to warn against neglect of oral health.
An array of periodontal solutions exist, and which one is best will depend on the severity of the infection that is present. The key is to schedule routine dental checkups and/or a consultation with a periodontist and follow proper oral hygiene practices to keep issues from emerging in the first place.
