Periodontal Treatments
Periodontal Disease also known as “gum disease” is an important health issue which needs to be taking care of as soon as possible. There are some options of treatment that can be done depending on the severity of your disease.
The first step of treatment is a non-surgical treatment called scaling and root planning. During this procedure an ultrasonic cleaning device and hand instruments is used to remove plaque and tartar from your teeth where regular cleaning devices can't reach: under the gum line, and around the root. Then, the rough surface of the tooth and the root are smoothed out (planed). This provides a healthy, clean surface that makes it easier for the gum tissue to reattach to the tooth. Moreover, this may be the only treatment needed to help the gums get back to a healthier manner but you must continue good dental hygiene care, eating a healthy diet, no tobacco, regular dental checkups and regular dental cleaning. Even after a successful scaling and root planning, if you don’t properly take care of your oral cavity the periodontal disease may reoccur and may be more severe in needing surgery.
If the periodontal tissue is too damaged to be repaired with non-surgical treatment, the second step of treatment is a surgical treatment called Pocket Depth Reduction, also known as “flap surgery”. During pocket reduction procedures we fold back the gum tissue and remove the bacteria hiding underneath, as well as the hardened plaque and tartar that have collected. We may also remove any tissue that is too damaged to survive. We then sew the healthy tissue back into place. Now that the tooth and root are free of bacteria, plaque, and tartar, and the pockets have been reduced, the gums can reattach to the teeth.
Dental diode lasers offer a wide range of clinical treatment possibilities as they are capable of creating precision cuts in gingiva and other soft tissues, eliminating bleeding, sterilizing the gum pocket and reducing the healing time for the patient. This eliminates the need for traditional cutting and sewing of the gum. The diode laser light is highly absorbed in hemoglobin and other pigments. This property makes it an excellent device for removing the inflamed, highly vascular tissue within a periodontally involved pocket. The diode laser can be bactericidal. It targets “pigmented” bacteria and creates thermal changes resulting in the destruction of the bacteria in soft tissue. Their hemostatic properties can reduce post-treatment bleeding. Other advantages of lasers include cell regeneration, collagen growth and mucosal tissue regeneration, along with an anti-inflammatory effect.
