Non-Surgical Periodontics: What Is It and Is It a Painful Procedure?

Periodontal disease can creep up on you. Just fail to show your smile some love now and then, and you might find yourself dealing with gum disease. Gum disease has now overtaken old age as the number one cause of tooth loss.

It is estimated that close to half of all adults above 30 years in the U.S have gum disease. However, seeking periodontal therapy can help you keep the condition at bay. It is always prudent to seek non-invasive periodontal therapy before the condition escalates.

An Overview On Periodontitis

Gum disease is a severe oral health issue. It’s much more than pesky bleeding gums and foul breath. It’s a severe progressive condition that, if you don’t seek non-surgical periodontics, you may have to deal with the inevitable tooth loss. Besides affecting your oral health, gum disease is also linked to other health conditions such as heart disease.

What Causes Gum Disease?

Did you know that your oral cavity is home to lots of bacteria, both helpful and harmful? So, whenever you enjoy your favorite meal, bacteria will swarm the area to devour the food debris left in the mouth.

If you don’t take your time to brush and floss your teeth, plaque starts forming. Plaque is a sticky substance comprised of food debris, saliva, and bacteria. Over time, plaque hardens to form tartar.

When tartar buildups along the gum line, you will start having serious issues. When your teeth have tartar, your teeth become porous, enabling more plaque buildup. Then, a cycle of plaque sticking to tartar starts, and then more tartar forms and around it goes. This is what causes gum inflammation and bleeding.

How Do I Know If You Need Periodontal Therapy?

During the early stages of the disease, you will notice that your gums are bleeding. This is by far the most glaring symptom. However, you also need to peel your eyes for the following:

• Sensitive teeth.
• Bad breath.
• Swollen gums.
• Receding gums.
• Discolored or red gums.
• Wiggly or shifting teeth.

Is Periodontal Treatment Painful?

Non-invasive periodontal therapy involves root planing and scaling. This consists of a lot of scraping close to the gum line and beneath the gum line. However, before treatment proceeds, our dentist will administer anesthesia to make your experience painless. Therefore, don’t worry about feeling pain during the procedure.

How Is It Treated?

As you know by now, gum disease is progressive, and the best way to deal with it is by seeking prompt treatment at our dental office. Our dentist offers non-invasive periodontal therapy, which aims at removing tartar and controlling the infection.

When you undergo this treatment, it allows your gums to heal and reattach to your teeth. Also, it puts an end to the degenerative process that accompanies prolonged bacterial infection.

Non-surgical periodontal therapy involves the following:

• Scaling

Scaling involves removing tartar and plaque beneath your gums, the crowns’ base, and between the gums. In most cases, scaling is performed using an ultrasonic instrument that will loosen the plaque and remove tartar.

Our dentist will commence the procedure by administering local anesthesia to numb the area. Then our dentist will place the scaler in the pocket with the bevel at an angle between 90 and 45 degrees to the tooth. Your teeth will be scraped in a vertical, horizontal, or circular motion.

• Root Planing

As periodontitis progresses, it damages the surface layer of your tooth root and, at times, the dentin. The aim of root planing is to smooth the rough surfaces and eliminate any subgingival bacteria.

Also, anesthesia is used before the procedure commences. Then, our dentist will clean deep below the gums to remove tartar and plaque on the toots where the bones could be affected by the bacterial infection. During root planing, the surface layer of the tooth root will be removed.

At times, our dentist may need to remove a small superficial layer of the dentin to ensure that the affected area is removed.

• Medication

Topical antibiotics and antimicrobial rinses can be used to boost the defense against bacteria after root planing and scaling. Antibiotics are essential since they can help kill the bacteria beneath the gum line.

The Takeaway

Periodontitis is a severe oral condition that needs to be treated promptly. If you have gum disease, you can come to our dental office at least twice a year for scaling and root planing. Contact us today at Wellesley Dental Arts to schedule an appointment.