Periodontitis
Periodontal diseases are serious infections that if left untreated can lead to teeth loss. Periodontal disease can affect one or more teeth. This infection usually causes a reduction in the jaw bone. If left untreated it can reach an advanced stage with main features tooth mobility. It’s main cause is the microbes and plaque that are incorporated into the teeth.
How can we understand if we suffer from periodontitis?
Periodontal disease is usually silent, which means that its symptoms may not occur until an advanced stage of the disease. However, some of the warning signs of periodontal disease include:
- Red, swollen gums or mouth pain
- Bleeding in brushing, using dental floss or eating hard foods
- Urethrosis that resolves or pulls off the teeth, making the teeth look longer than before
- Pile between the gum and the teeth
- Wounds in the mouth
- Persistent bad breath
- Change in how teeth fit together when biting (convergence).
What is the treatment for periodontitis?
The first phase of the treatment is called conservative and includes the so-called hypulatory (or radical) scraping.
It is a process reminiscent of classical cleansing but it is deeper, more specialized and is done in part and always with local anesthesia.
Usually 4-5 visits are required to complete this phase.
The purpose of conservative periodontal treatment is to remove germs from the teeth, combat inflammation and eliminate pockets, which are focal areas of microbial retention and cause recurrence of periodontitis.
In some cases special antibiotic slow release formulations that help fight pathogenic microorganisms can be placed in the pockets.
Within 1-2 months after abrasions, a review is made to assess the outcome of the treatment and decide whether a second treatment phase (surgery) will be needed.
In most cases, however, conservative treatment is sufficient.
However, if surgical treatment is required, this includes some subtle interventions designed either to:
- in surgical removal of pockets with very deep depth or
- to the regeneration of bone lost by placing bone grafts or directed tissue regeneration membranes.
Bone regeneration is the ideal treatment as it completely restores the damage caused by periodontitis, however it is not possible in a few cases.
What can i do so as not have periontitis in the future again?
Periodontitis is a chronic disease and recurs very easily unless two conditions are strictly and in the long term:
- daily meticulous oral hygiene by the patient and
- regular re-evaluation by the dentist in order to timely counteract any recurrence or progression of the disease.
- The pace of the reviews depends on the severity and aggression of the disease, but they are usually scheduled every 3-4 months.
Adhering to these conditions is crucial to long-term success in the treatment of periodontitis.
