Periodontal Treatment

Gum diseases can be a huge inconvenience as they seriously upset a person’s oral health and cause a lot of pain. When left untreated for a considerable period of time, they can worsen beyond treatment and lead to devastating symptoms such as the decay of gum tissues, tooth loss, and jawbone deterioration.

Periodontitis is infamously known to be incurable, but it can definitely be treated and kept under control. Dr. Dizik has treated numerous patients with gum diseases in the past and helped them to halt the spread of the disease. Over the past decade, she has treated hundreds of patients and helped them get the smile that they have always dreamt of.

What is periodontitis?

Periodontitis is, by far, the most serious gum disease out there. It starts off as gingivitis which is characterized by mild inflammation of the gums, redness, swelling, bleeding of gums, halitosis, and pain whenever you bite and chew food. However, it is best to get the condition treated at this early stage itself, which otherwise, can turn into periodontitis.

What causes periodontitis?

Plaque and tartar are the main causes of periodontitis. The tartar deposits on the teeth (closer to the gum line) contain thousands of harmful bacteria that feed off the food debris in the mouth. During this, they liberate harmful acids that can erode the enamel to cause cavities and decay the gum tissues. The gums get severely infected and develop into diseases such as periodontitis. 

What are the symptoms of periodontitis?

• Severe decay of the gum tissues
• Receding of the gums below the optimum gum line
• Frequent bleeding from the gums near the infected region
• Tender and soft gums that loosen around the teeth
• Deeper gum pockets that tend to accumulate a lot of microbes and debris from the mouth
• Jawbone deterioration that affects the thickness, health, and strength of the jawbone
• Loosening of the teeth as the jawbone shrinks
• Severe bad breath (halitosis)
• Discoloration of the teeth near the gum line

Periodontal maintenance

Treating gum diseases in the earliest of stages can be very helpful in halting the spread of infection to the nearby teeth, gums, and jawbone. Two procedures that are especially helpful in treating it are scaling and root planing. They are done to get rid of the tartar deposits from the surface of the tooth crowns and roots, respectively. They provide relief against gum diseases and remove the infection-causing microbes. In addition to these, a highly powerful drug called Arestin may be used by your dentist to treat it.

Post-treatment, make sure you take the medication as prescribed by the dentist. We would suggest patients maintain optimum oral hygiene by brushing and flossing their teeth at least twice every day to keep microbial growth to a minimum. Routine visits to the dentist’s office should be scheduled so that we can check for any unexpected issues and infections, and carry out oral cleaning.

We serve the area of San Mateo and Burlingame Terrace. To schedule an appointment, call us at (650) 348-5424, and we will be happy to help.