What is Periodontitis and How is it Treated?

What is periodontitis and its treatment, listen directly from a dentist in Westmont

Oral hygiene is very important. None of us wants to smell bad or encounter any teeth or gum disease. If your gums are inflamed and sore, it is a sign of gingivitis. If this condition persists for a while, it leads to a serious dental disease known as Periodontitis.

Poor oral hygiene is one of the major causes of periodontitis. Other factors that contribute to it include, smoking, genetics, medications, hormonal fluctuations, misaligned or crowded teeth, braces or bridgework, teeth clenching, and a compromised immune system.

Deep cleaning and brushing regularly can help prevent this disease. Treatments like laser treatment, scaling, root planing, and professional deep-cleaning can also help with it.

Let us take a detailed look at what periodontitis is and how to cure it.

What is Periodontitis?

• Periodontitis is an aggravated form of gingivitis. If you don’t cure gingivitis, the condition morphs into periodontitis. The gums eventually recede and pull away from the tooth, loosening it from its foundation. The result is eventual tooth loss.

The gap from tooth loss will increase the chances of infection, which can spread throughout your body. Bacteria in your gums from periodontitis can travel through your bloodstream to other organs causing heart disease and sepsis.

• Poor oral hygiene leads to periodontitis. Factors that contribute to it are smoking, genetics, medications, a compromised immune system, and hormonal fluctuations during menopause, puberty, menstruation, and pregnancy.

Following are the different types of periodontitis.

Chronic Periodontitis

It is the most common of gum diseases and is characterized by receding gums and the formation of pockets between the gums and the teeth. It occurs more in adults.

Aggressive Periodontitis

• It is present in both children and adults, but rare in children. Some of the aggressive periodontitis include localized juvenile periodontitis and pubertal periodontitis.

Necrotizing Periodontitis

It is also referred to as acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis. It can damage tissues, ligaments, and bones of the mouth. It is most common in smokers, malnourished people, or people with immune deficiency.

Prevention of Periodontitis

If you do not look after your oral health, the condition can get worse. Periodontitis can be prevented in the following ways:

• First of all, brush your teeth twice a day with a fluoridated toothpaste.
• Floss at least once a day to remove plaque
• Eating a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables, as well as a diet consisting of meat and fish.
• Visit your dentist at least twice a year for professional cleaning
• Reduce your intake of sugary items and lastly drink plenty of fluoridated tap water.

Periodontitis can require surgery if it gets worse.

Treating Periodontitis

• Periodontitis can be treated both surgically and non surgically. It could require surgical treatment if the condition gets worse. If non-surgical treatment is found to be unsuccessful then surgical treatment is required. Surgical treatments for gum diseases focus on pocket reduction, lost bone, tissue regeneration, excessive gum tissue removal, soft tissue grafting on the gums to cover the exposed bone and prevent tooth loss.

Non-surgical treatments include antibiotics and non-surgical deep-cleaning procedures called tooth scaling and root planing. These deep-cleaning techniques remove plaque and tartar from underneath the gum line.

Laser treatments are also recommended for treating periodontitis.

• A home remedy for periodontitis includes injecting antimicrobial solutions like hydrogen peroxide in pockets using slender applicators or oral irrigators. However, these home remedies are not that effective nor are long-lived.

When experiencing the symptoms of either gum disease ( gingivitis or periodontitis), one needs to visit the dentist to prevent the condition from deteriorating. Visit celebrity Smiles and General dentistry in Westmont IL for the most reliable dental treatment.