ODQ Sheet – Periodontal Disease

WHAT ARE THE STEPS IN PERIODONTAL TREATMENT?

Generally, treatments begin with an etiological periodontal health phase. This consists of eliminating the irritating factors – bacterial plaque and tartar – and correcting all the factors that promote their accumulation. Habits that could aggravate the disease must be modified. This treatment, called scaling and root planing, consists of cleaning up the periodontal pockets. It is usually performed under local anesthesia using manual and ultrasonic instruments. In some situations, an additional antibiotic therapy may be recommended. In the days following this treatment, the patient may experience increased sensitivity to chewing and brushing as well as to temperature changes. Following resolution of the gum inflammation, there will be contraction and firming of the gums, which may result in some additional exposure of the roots, giving the appearance of longer teeth. Special attention will be paid to the quality of daily oral hygiene to prevent root cavities, since roots are less resistant to decay than tooth enamel. To treat the increased sensitivity of the teeth to hot or cold thermal stimulation, the dentist may prescribe a toothpaste formulated to reduce sensitivity and may apply a desensitizing agent if necessary. This phase of treatment usually stops the progression of the disease and reduces the inflammation of the gums by reducing the depth of the periodontal pockets. In the following weeks, a re-evaluation of the periodontal condition will be performed in order to measure the improvement obtained. Following the periodontal health phase, some teeth may require periodontal surgery. The purpose of the surgery is to allow the dentist to access the roots affected by deep periodontal pockets and to facilitate a complete debridement. Such an operation will restore the gum and bone to a more natural contour, further reducing the depth of the periodontal pockets and, at the same time, facilitating the hygiene applied by the patient. There are regeneration techniques that can be tried, depending on the case. These procedures use different materials to promote the reformation of bone to partially replace the losses caused by periodontal disease. These techniques require specific clinical application conditions and your dentist can recommend them if they are appropriate for you. Surgical procedures provide significant benefits to the treatment, but involve a healing period. It is also important to know that there is a risk of relapse or worsening of the periodontal disease despite all the treatments performed.