How Does a Periodontist Treat Gum Disease? A Pflugerville Patient's Guide
Like most people, you probably have plenty of experience visiting a dentist. General or family dentists are trained medical professionals who specialize in maintaining the health of your teeth.
But teeth aren’t the only structures in your mouth. Your gums and the jawbone beneath them support your teeth. When issues impact these areas, a dental specialist can help. So what does a periodontist do to treat receding gums and other problems with your gums and jaw?
What Is a Periodontist?
Periodontists are specialists who focus on the tissues that support the teeth. Like general dentists, they attend dental school for four years. After completing their training in dentistry, they receive three additional years of training in periodontics.
You might be referred to a periodontist in Pflugerville if you need treatment for gum disease or gum surgery.
What Is Gum Disease?
Gum disease is a broad term that refers to any inflammation or infection of the tissue around the teeth.
The most common type of gum disease is gingivitis. Plaque that contains bacteria builds up around the teeth and gums. The bacteria trigger an immune reaction that results in gingivitis. Inflammation makes gums red and swollen, and they may bleed easily.
Gingivitis does not affect the underlying jawbone, and it can be treated. Good oral hygiene and twice-yearly cleanings with your regular dentist to remove plaque are often enough to reverse gingivitis and prevent it from coming back.
If gingivitis is left untreated, it can get progress into a more serious form of gum disease known as periodontitis. The bacteria can invade the bone under the gums, damaging the bone tissue and ligaments of your jaw. This can cause irreversible tissue loss.
Symptoms of periodontitis include:
Pain
Swelling
Bleeding gums
Temperature sensitivity
Bad breath
Pockets of pus in the gumline
Receding gums
Loosening teeth or change of bite
Tooth loss
The damage from periodontitis can’t be reversed. However, a periodontist can treat the condition and prevent more damage to your teeth, gums, and jaw.
How Does a Periodontist Treat Gum Disease?
Treatment options vary depending on how severe the infection becomes. A periodontist in Pflugerville can examine your teeth and gums, take X-rays if necessary, and recommend the treatments that could be most effective for you.
How a Periodontist Treats Receding Gums
Periodontitis can cause your gums to pull away from your teeth, exposing the roots. Receding gums often lead to pain and temperature sensitivity. Your periodontist can treat receding gums with antibiotics and a deep cleaning technique called scaling and root planing.
Scaling and root planing is a deep cleaning procedure. It's similar to a routine dental cleaning, but your periodontist will clean beneath the gumline to remove plaque and bacteria. The process may take more than one appointment and usually requires topical anesthesia to manage discomfort.
In addition to scaling and root planing, your periodontist may also prescribe a topical antibiotic to apply to the affected area.
Periodontal Pocket Reduction Surgery
Some cases of periodontitis create pockets between the gum and the teeth where plaque, tartar, and bacteria build up. These pockets are too deep to reach with typical dental cleaning tools. Treating them requires pocket reduction surgery.
During the surgery, you will have local anesthetic and may choose twilight sedation to manage discomfort during the procedure. Once you’re prepared, the periodontist makes an incision in the gums to move them away from the teeth. They clean plaque and tartar away from the roots before closing the gum back over the teeth.
This can be done with traditional surgical tools or via a laser-assisted new attachment procedure (LANAP). During LANAP to treat periodontal disease in Pflugerville, your periodontist uses a handheld laser to target diseased tissue while preserving the surrounding healthy tissue.
Bone or Gum Grafting for Periodontitis
If your periodontist diagnoses significant damage to the gum or underlying bone, they may suggest grafting. This surgical procedure removes the infected tissue and replaces it with grafting material.
A bone graft fills in areas where the bone has eroded while your body regenerates the bone tissue. Gum grafting covers exposed roots and adds tissue around the gumline.
You will need a local anesthetic or sedation to manage discomfort during the procedure.
Comprehensive Periodontal Evaluation at Central Texas Periodontics
If you have signs of gum disease, such as pain, sensitivity, persistent bleeding, loose teeth, or receding gums, you can make an appointment with a periodontist at Central Texas Periodontics for periodontal disease treatment in Pflugerville. Prompt treatment is important to prevent further damage to your gums and jaw.
To learn more about periodontal disease treatment options at CTP, call us to book an evaluation.
