When It’s Time to See a Houston Periodontist

Advanced periodontal disease is as bad as gum disease gets. All the symptoms and warning signs of the earlier stages have led to this, a point where treatment can be uncomfortable, but it can also be life saving.

Gum disease stems from several possible sources, the most common of which is bacteria gathering under the gum line. It can also be a sign of a different disease altogether, which makes diagnosing the source all the more important.

Why It’s Important to See a Houston Periodontist for Advanced Periodontal Disease

Beyond the ability to treat the disease, which we’ll get to in a bit, gum disease can be an indicator for an underlying problem. Certain medications and other diseases can cause gum disease, so it’s important to know what the root cause is for an effective treatment.

 

If you’re treating the gum disease as though it’s the only problem, but it’s actually being caused by diabetes, you’re not going to effectively treat it and it can keep recurring.

By treating the source, you can prevent the periodontal disease from growing and spreading.

Treating Periodontal Disease in Houston

The early stages of periodontal disease can be reversed with a good, thorough cleaning of the teeth, particularly under the gum-line. Gingivitis, the first stage, can often be reversed at home. Periodontal disease requires dentists scrape the bacteria from teeth.

With advanced periodontal disease, however, a Houston periodontist needs to surgically remove the bacteria, which is so deep under the gum-line that it can’t be removed easily.

Most times, a procedure called open flap surgery is conducted to access the roots of teeth. The roots are where most of the bacteria are gathering, which causes adjacent tissue to become inflamed. By making small slits in the gums, the periodontist can peel back the gums to expose the roots and remove the bacteria.

Additionally, soft tissue grafts may be needed to restore damaged or destroyed gum tissue. The tissue is usually taken from the roof of the patient’s mouth, but guided tissue regeneration can sometimes stimulate the gum tissue cells to grow on their own.

Another major problem with advanced periodontal disease is that the bacteria may have reached and infected the bones of the jaw.

If this happens, the bones can become weak, causing teeth to fall out and other major issues. In order to treat this, the dentist will remove any pieces of bone that are infected and may apply a bone graft to stimulate healing.

Care After Advanced Periodontal Disease Treatment

All of the treatment methods for advanced periodontal disease treatment are uncomfortable. The patient will likely need a few days to recover. However, stopping the spread and reversing the damage of the infection can potentially save the patient’s life.

During the procedure, sedation dentistry can be used to reduce the sensation of pain and discomfort, but it may not eliminate it entirely.

The dentist does not want to cause the patient any pain, but unfortunately it may happen due to the severity and depth of the disease. After the surgery, the patient should rest at home for the rest of the day. Take any prescribed pain medications as directed to reduce discomfort while the mouth heals.

Avoid chewing or biting any hard foods for a while to prevent accidentally causing additional pain or loosening teeth. If any more problems arise after the surgery, contact your dentist immediately for a follow-up appointment.