Gum disease leads to inflammation of the gum and loss of the bone supporting the teeth usually due to the formation of plaque which in turn caused by gingivitis. If this condition is left untreated it spreads all over the mouth and becomes hard leading to destruction of the gum tissue causing periodontitis.
Various treatments for gum problems
several ways helps in treating gum diseases depending on the severity of infection.
Oral hygiene: Maintaining proper oral hygiene is one of the best ways for treating gum diseases. Brushing of teeth should be done atleast twice a day along with flossing by using tooth paste containing fluoride.
Deep cleaning methods: Tartar and plaque can be removed using cleansing method by the dentist.
- Deep scaling and root planning are the two methods used.
- Scaling is similar to scraping the tartar present on the teeth and successive polishing.
- Root planing is the method where deep cleaning is done under the gums in order to avoid bacterial growth.
- Swelling, loss of blood and discomfort may occur while doing deep cleaning method which can be avoided by treating with laser for the removal of tartar and plaque.
Medications: Antibiotics, mouth washes and pain killers are used in treating gum problems along with other cleaning and surgery methods.
- Pain killers: Paracetamol and ibuprofen are some of the drugs recommended by doctors as pain killers for reducing the pain.
- Mouth washes: Hydrogen peroxide and chlorhexidine are present in mouth washes for rinsing the mouth. Some mouth washes have to be diluted using water before rinsing.
- Antibiotics: Antibiotics are available either in gel or tablet forms such as amoxycilin and metronidazole for treatment of gum diseases in the short term. Gels used are to be applied over the gums after deep scaling and root planning.
Surgical treatment: Treatment by surgery is an option for treating gum diseases if it is severe.
- The deep pockets present below the gum line can be reduced by surgery. The following are two methods in surgeries:
- Bone and tissue grafting: Regeneration of the lost gum tissue and bone which supports the teeth will be done in this surgery.
- In bone grafting the lost bone is replaced by natural or artificial bone where tissue generation is a technique used in combination with bone grating.
- Flap surgery: The infected part of the gum is removed and repositioning of it is done along with shaping of the gum tissue for providing support to the teeth.
- These surgical procedures vary depending on the severity of the disease caused.
- In this surgery the tissue of the gums is lifted from the teeth and the bone is cleaned to remove the plaque and then repositioned in place and re-fixed for minimizing the depth of the pocket.
The above article gives information regarding the various treatments for gum diseases thus helping people to get aware of things before getting in to serious issues.