What is periodontal disease?

Periodontal disease, or gum disease, occurs when your gums become infected with bacteria. You may experience bleeding, swollen gums in the early stages of gum disease, which is known as gingivitis. As the disease spreads, it can destroy the structures located in your jawbone that support your teeth, as this point in time, the disease is called periodontitis.

How does periodontal disease affect your health?

Left untreated, periodontal disease leads to health complications that extend beyond your mouth. The inflammation in your mouth can increase the state of inflammation in your entire body, making you susceptible to conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, as well as other health problems.

What is periodontal treatment?

Periodontal treatment seeks to halt gum disease and its effects on the health and integrity of your teeth. Periodontists, such as those at IPI of Torrance, receive up to three years of additional, specialized training in treating periodontal disease with nonsurgical and surgical procedures. Periodontal treatment may also involve replacing teeth lost to the disease with dental implants.

What are nonsurgical treatments for periodontal disease?

The primary nonsurgical treatments for periodontal disease are scaling and root planing. The treatment involves cleaning the root surfaces to remove plaque and tartar. The process cleans deep into your gum pockets to remove bacteria and pockets of inflammation and smooths the root to discourage future infection.

Root planing and scaling may be enough to foster gum healing. You’ll then need ongoing maintenance and pristine at-home oral hygiene habits to maintain your healthier gums.

What are the surgical treatments for periodontal disease?

If your periodontal disease has progressed and doesn’t respond to nonsurgical treatments, the team at IPI of Torrance may suggest a surgical solution. These include:

• Flap surgery, which involves surgically lifting the gums to remove tartar
• Bone grafts, which involves using self-donated or other donated bone to replace any bone destroyed due to the decay caused by gum disease
• Soft tissue grafts, which reinforce thin, receding gums
• Bone surgery, which may be done in conjunction with flap surgery to reshape bone that’s been lost due to gum disease
• Guided tissue regeneration, which involves the insertion of a mesh-like fabric between your bone and gum tissue to stimulate bone and gum growth

Discuss these options with your provider at IPI of Torrance as they may be the best way to achieve better oral health.

What is gum graft surgery?

Gum disease and/or trauma (such as incorrect brushing technique, uneven biting) can cause your gums to recede and expose your tooth roots. This leaves the roots vulnerable and they become sensitive. Also, receding gum can have negative effects of collecting more bacteria and potentially leads to more bone loss. A gum graft involves taking a sample of tissue, from the roof of your mouth or other sources, and stitching it to the receding gum to recover the tooth root.

After the gum graft, you would experience less sensitivity and an improved smile, as well as protect teeth to become less vulnerable to bacteria and decay.