Tips to Recover Easily from Periodontal Treatment

Routine dental exams and cleanings together with efficient at-home oral hygiene is a great way to maintain excellent oral health. When bacteria and plaque build-up in the mouth, you increase your risk of developing dental issues such as oral infections, gum disease, and tooth decay.

When dealing with any dental issues, prompt treatment is key regardless of the severity. When left untreated, these conditions can worsen, causing the need for expensive and more invasive treatments. This article will focus on periodontal disease and how you can manage it with ease.

What is periodontal disease?

Periodontal disease is a severe and progressed form of gum disease. In most cases, periodontal disease is caused by poor dental hygiene, leading to the buildup of bacteria and plaque within the teeth and gums. The gums and underneath bone that supports the teeth become infected and inflamed. In its initial stages, gum disease is gingivitis. If not treated, gingivitis worsens, causing periodontal disease, also known as periodontitis.

Periodontal disease is a severe gum condition with oral and health complications such as tooth loss, heart disease, and autoimmune disorders. Unfortunately, advanced periodontal disease isn’t reversible, and it can only be managed with periodontal care. For this reason, it’s essential to seek treatment for gum disease as soon as possible.

Symptoms of gum disease

In its initial stages, gum disease doesn’t always show vivid symptoms. Warning signs to watch out for include:

• Mouth sores
• Gum recession
• Bleeding when brushing or flossing
• Tender, red, or sore, or swollen gums
• Loose or separating teeth
• Changes in bite or painful chewing
• Consistent bad breath
• Pus between gums and the teeth

When you suspect you have gum disease, visit a dentist near you immediately for proper diagnosis and treatment. The sooner you treat gum disease, the easier and more effective the treatment.

Periodontal disease stages

Periodontal disease has four major types depending on the severity of the condition. These include:

• Gingivitis

The first phase of periodontal disease is called Gingivitis. With timely treatment, you can reverse Gingivitis. Gingivitis results from poor dental care, such as irregular brushing and flossing. Your mouth is susceptible to plaque and bacterial infection, causing Gingivitis. Bad breath and bleeding gums are the most prevalent symptoms of gingivitis. You can manage the condition with proper dental care, hygiene, and professional cleaning.

• Early Periodontitis

Slight or early periodontitis is the second stage of periodontal disease. While you can’t reverse the condition, it’s still manageable. In this stage, the infection has spread to the underlying bone. Periodontal therapy or root planing and scaling are used to deep clean and remove trapped plaque and bacteria underneath the gums.

• Moderate Periodontitis

At the third stage, we have moderate periodontal disease. The infection has spread deeper into the gums and larger gum pockets. Bad or weird mouth taste is a common symptom of this stage. At this stage, the condition is irreversible, and you can only manage it by deep cleaning treatments to clean and clear away the infection.

• Advanced Periodontitis

It’s the final stage of periodontal disease, where the infection can’t get any worse. The gums are severely inflamed, and you might notice oozing pus. Halitosis and bone loss are common symptoms. Advanced periodontal disease requires advanced treatment such as gum surgery. If left untreated, the situation can worsen, leading to gum recession, teeth gaps, or tooth loss.

Periodontal treatment options

Common Periodontal Disease treatments include:

• Excellent dental hygiene: Gingivitis can be managed and reversed with excellent dental care and hygiene. Brush and floss daily, and schedule routine dental exams and professional cleanings.
• Deep professional cleaning: Your dentist or hygienist can deep clean your mouth to remove plaque, tartar, and bacteria on tooth surfaces above and below the gumline.
• Scaling and root planing: It’s a non-surgical procedure of removing and scraping away tartar and plaque on teeth surfaces and underneath the gums. The procedure uses local anesthesia.
• Flap surgery or pocket reduction surgery: Gum surgery treats advanced stages of periodontal disease. The gums are lifted back during the surgery, and any tartar and plaque removed.
• Bone grafts: might be needed to repair and rebuild the damaged bone.

Gum disease treatment recovery

Here are tips to promote faster recovery after treatment:

• Don’t brush or floss around the treated area for 12-24 hours.
• Rinse your mouth with warm salty water to reduce tenderness and prevent infections.
• Take medication as directed by your dentist.
• Eat soft foods until the area heals.

Final Verdict

Ultimately, treating gum disease is essential to maintaining a healthy smile and oral health. If you suspect you have periodontal disease, please visit a dentist near you as soon as possible. For more information about periodontal treatments, contact Westwood Dental Group.