Periodontitis is a destructive inflammatory disease leading to the decay of gum and bone supporting the teeth. This destruction is attributed to the development and maturation of a bacterial plaque or biofilm. The maturation of this biofilm in the sulcus between the tooth root and gum results in an increasing prevalence of particularly virulent bacteria triggering inflammation and the resulting tissue destruction which is periodontal disease. With the progression of periodontal disease, there is an accumulation of mineralized deposits of bacterial plaque called calculus which contributes to the progression of the disease. The removal of calculus and its associated bacterial plaque is critical to treatment success.
Several factors increase the risk of periodontits. Tobacco smoking is the number one contributing factor, followed by diabetes. These factors compromise the immune response of the individual which can promote the progression of the disease. Non-surgical periodontal treatment is the primary therapy for restoring the health of periodontal tissues.
Plaque removal is the ultimate goal of therapy. Beyond the removal of plaque on the crowns of teeth during a routine hygiene cleaning appointment, non-surgical periodontal treatment removes the bacterial deposits along the root surfaces by scaling and root planing for a successful treatment.
Studies strongly support both manual and ultrasonic scalers to remove deposits below the gum. Local delivery of antibiotics as an adjunct to the gold standard of scaling is moderately supported. However, the use of lasers to treat diseased root surfaces as an alternative to scaling is questionable.
Treatment success is dependent on sufficient cleansing of the root surface to allow for the return of tissue health. The healing response requires the diminished presence of bacteria and their toxins, the resolution of inflammation , and the reattachment of gum and bone to the root surface. The clinical end-points of non-surgical periodontal treatment are reduction of sites with bleeding on probing and reduction of probing depths.
It appears that studies strongly support a non-surgical initial periodontal therapy, and that probing depths greater the 6 mm following non-surgical therapy may benefit from a surgical approach. The optimal outcome rests on prevention and early detection and treatment of periodontal disease to maintain healthy roots in supporting gum and bone. To learn more about non-surgical periodontal treatment as a treatment option, visit www.dulski.com/gum-disease.html.
Tags: Periodontitis, Periodontal Disease, Bacterial Plaque, Calculus, Non-Surgical Periodontal Treatment, Treatment of Periodontal Disease
I LIKE THE WAY THE DENTAL OFFICE DO THE PERIO EXAM AT EACH CLEANING. AT MY PAST DENTIST I ONLY HAD THIS DONE THE FIRST TIME I WENT THERE AND NEVER AGAIN IN 3 YEARS. IT WAS NEVER EXPLAINED TO ME WHY I HAD BLEEDING GUM. KNOW THAT I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR THE PAST 4 YEARS THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH ME TO GET MY GUMS HEALTHY.
ReplyDeleteScaling and root planning is the first approach for treating periodontal disease. This procedure is a deep cleaning to remove bacterial plaque and calculus (tartar). Scaling involves scraping tartar from above and below the gum line. Root planning smoothes the root surfaces of the teeth. Your dentist will reevaluate the success of this treatment in follow-up visits. If deep periodontal pockets and infection remain, periodontal surgery may be recommended.
ReplyDeleteChronic periodontitis is destructive inflammatory disease leading to the loss of the connective tissues supporting the teeth.The gold standard for non-surgical therapy is mechanical debridement of the root surface by scaling and root planning.Treatment success is dependent upon sufficient root surface debridement allow to the return of tissue health.
ReplyDelete