When you visit the periodontist, it’s common to learn that you’re in need of gum disease treatment. There are multiple types of gum disease, which can range from mild to severe. Before scheduling your first appointment, it makes sense to learn about possible treatment methods that may be used by the doctor that you’ll be seeing.
One common treatment is root scaling and planing, which is a type of deep cleaning for your gums. This treatment takes the place of a normal dental cleaning, and it will take more time. If your periodontist finds that you have tartar that has built up under your teeth, you may need this type of treatment to remove it. The tartar can cause pockets between your gums and your teeth. The irritation and gum disease can actually cause eventual tooth loss if you aren’t careful. However, scaling and root planing allows you to remove the pockets of tartar, gum disease, and bacteria so that your gums will start to improve and your condition will begin to improve.
There may be still more treatment necessary, such as a simple rinse with antibiotics that take the form of a mouthwash. Your healthcare provider may prescribe you an antibiotic mouthwash, which is slightly stronger than normal mouthwash, and instruct you to use it a few times a day. This mouthwash will help improve your oral health by lowering the bacteria count in your mouth. This treatment is quite simple, but it’s up to you to take care of maintaining it each day in order to see the results that you’d like.
You may also learn other useful information about maintaining your dental health. In a lot of situations, the damage has already been done and cannot be undone. However, it’s possible to keep existing gum disease from getting any worse by following your periodontists instructions. If your gum disease is extremely severe, it’s possible that you’ll need surgery to keep all of your teeth, but your periodontist will do what they can to prevent this from becoming necessary. You can help with this process by following normal rules for oral health, like brushing your teeth every day, flossing regularly, and using mouthwash.
It’s likely that you won’t have to visit a periodontist until a dentist refers you because you have gum disease, or are at risk of developing it. The practitioner might be able to keep gum disease from worsening, or they may have to refer you for surgery. No matter, it’s important to note what they tell you about when it comes to your oral healthcare.
