Periodontal treatment

Periodontal diseases are mainly the result of infections and inflammation of the gums and bone that surround and support the teeth. In its early stage, called gingivitis, the gums can become swollen and red, and they may bleed.

In its more serious form, called periodontitis, the gums can pull away from the tooth, bone can be lost, and the teeth may loosen or even fall out.

The process can also be seen on X-ray. In the case of a healthy parodontium, the level of the bone is near the neck of the tooth. In case of periodontal disease, the gums more and more recede towards the apex. It means that in advanced cases only half or even one-third of the root is in the bone.

That’s why the yearly X-ray scan is important to recognize bone destruction and this way periodontal disease could be diagnosed as quick as possible.

The treatments help protect your smile and prevent the loss of teeth, gums and bone. Tooth scaling and root planing can cause temporary discomfort while you heal. But the overall risks are minimal.

Bacteria and plaque are less likely to stick to the smooth surfaces of your treated teeth. Inflammation decreases as your gums heal. Your healthy gums can reattach more firmly to the smoothed tooth roots.

During follow-up appointments, your provider will measure the pockets surrounding your gum tissue. If the pockets haven’t decreased, you may need periodontal surgery.

Surgical treatments for periodontitis include:

• Bone grafting to replace lost bone
• Flap surgery (pocket reduction surgery) to make a gum pocket smaller by lowering your gum line.
• Soft tissue grafting to replace lost gum tissue

Following the treatment, improving home oral hygiene is necessary, since only cooperating together with the dentist can bring long term success.

For this reason, patients have to learn how and which instruments to use (e.g. dental floss, super floss, interdental brush, etc.) to be able to keep their teeth clean.

Without cooperation and motivation, even the best planned and carried out professional treatment cannot be successful.

“Periodontal treatment is a process. You, as a patient have to bear in mind that this treatment doesn’t happen overnight. At the first session, at the diagnostic stage we assess the conditions of your teeth and bones with the help of panoramic X-ray and we examine your oral cavity. If it is possible at the first meeting, we set up a treatment plan and the order and types of medical interventions discussing it together with you. If it is not possible due to heavy inflammation, we make a plan following the removal of the plaque. During the treatment we count on your cooperation, because curing periodontal disease highly depends on your everyday, home dental care routine, so we can effectively stop the disease solely together with you.”

Please contact me with confidence, your periodontist in Sopron Hungary – dr. Bóka Barbara