Periodontal disease progresses as the pockets or spaces between your teeth and gums get filled with bacteria, plaque, and tartar, causing irritation to the surrounding tissues. When these irritants remain in the pockets, they can cause damage to your gums and eventually, the bone that supports your teeth.
What does it involve?
After a diagnosis has been made, Dr. Ochev or one of our registered dental hygienists will recommend the appropriate periodontal treatment based on the severity of the disease.
- Cleanings
- Gingivitis is the first stage of periodontal disease. If the disease is caught early and no damage has been done, then we’ll recommend one to two regular cleanings. You’ll also receive instructions on improving your daily oral hygiene habits and getting regular dental cleanings.
- Scaling & Root Planing
- If the disease has progressed to more advanced stages, then we’ll recommend a special periodontal deep cleaning called scaling and root planing. It’s usually done one quadrant of the mouth at a time. While the quadrant is numb, we remove tartar, plaque, and toxins from above and below your gum line (scaling) and smoothen rough spots on the root surfaces (planing). This procedure helps gum tissue to heal and pockets to shrink. We may also recommend medications, special medicated mouth rinses, and an electric toothbrush to help you control infection and healing.
- Arestin Therapy
- A combined therapy of Arestin plus scaling and root planing is more effective at fighting periodontal disease than scaling and root planing alone. Arestin, which contains a potent but low-dose antibiotic (minocycline 1 mg) is administered locally, directly into the infected pockets between your teeth. When used together with scaling and root planing, Arestin significantly reduces the depth of infected pockets and helps prevent disease progression. Arestin has been shown to be particularly effective in the more difficult to treat patients, i.e. those that are at a higher periodontal risk such as smokers or people who have cardiovascular disease.
- Surgery
- If your pockets don’t heal after scaling and root planing, periodontal surgery may be needed to reduce the pocket depths, making your teeth easier to clean. We may recommend you see a Periodontist who specializes in treating gums and the supporting bone.