Other Measures Used to Treat Gum Disease
Scaling and root planing are intensive deep cleaning procedures that work well for those who have periodontal disease but there are instances where the disease has been left to its own devices and have advanced too far for this procedure to do much good. Medications and antibiotics can kill germs and help to suppress the progression of gum recession and bone loss. There are a variety of medications used including a prescription antimicrobial mouth rinse, an antiseptic chip, an antibiotic gel, antibiotic microspheres and an enzyme suppressant.
There are other measures that dentists will employ when it comes to the treatment of gum disease. It cannot be emphasized enough that the mildest form of gum disease known as gingivitis is something that can be reversed and need not lead to a worsening of the problem.
Curettage is one such treatment method that a dentist may put into play. In this case the diseased gum tissue is sitting in an infected periodontal pocket and is carefully scraped away with an instrument for that express purpose. Once the disease part is dispensed with, this allows the area to begin the healing process.
Flap surgery is often employed if deep pockets and inflammation continue after SRP and a variety of medications have been used. Flap surgery is done by lifting back the gums and then carefully removing the tartar that is to be found there. The gums are then carefully sewn back in a way that allows the tissue to fit snugly and securely around the tooth or teeth. Flap surgery also decreases the deep pockets that remain, thereby making it less likely that bacteria will develop.
Bone grafts are a form of surgery that is undertaken to replace the bone that has been destroyed by advanced gum disease. The replacement bone is either synthetic bone, donated bone or small fragments of the patient’s own bone. Bone grafts make it possible for bones to heal and grow strong again and this in turn restores the stability and support of the teeth and gums.
Soft tissue grafts help to improve the condition of thin gums or gums that have already shown signs of recessive activity. In this case, grafted tissue is removed from the roof of the mouth and sutured in place over the area where the gums have receded. This transplanted gum tissue will then grow in place and make the gums stronger than they were before.
Guided tissue regeneration is surgery that is done in conjunction with flap surgery to stimulate the gum tissue and bone to grow as much as possible. A tiny piece of fabric resembling mesh is placed between the gum tissue and the bone in this medical procedure. This is done to prevent the gum tissue from growing into the place where the bone should ordinarily be found. Doing this makes it possible for the connective tissue and bone to grow again and heal.
Another type of procedure is known as bone (osseous) surgery. This procedure works to smooth the shallow craters that are evident on the bone as a result of moderate to advanced loss of bone. This form of surgery is undertaken after flap surgery when the bone is carefully reshaped in order to reduce the number of craters that exist. Doing this makes it difficult for bacteria to form and develop.
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