Periodontal Treatment Options

If you’ve been diagnosed with periodontal disease, a variety of treatment options are available, depending on the details of your situation and the severity of the problem. We always start with the least invasive options, which are non-surgical. However, in more serious cases, surgery may be necessary.

Non-Surgical Treatment

The first line of defense against gum disease is a unique type of cleaning called “scaling and root planing.” In this procedure, an ultrasonic cleaning device is used to remove plaque and tartar from your teeth where regular cleaning devices can’t reach: under the gum line, on the tooth, and around the root.

Then the rough surface of the tooth and the root are smoothed out (planed). This provides a healthy, clean surface that makes it easier for the gum tissue to reattach to the tooth.

If you address your gum disease before it becomes severe, scaling and root planing may be the only treatment you need. However, as with any dental procedure, after-care is vital.

In order to keep your teeth in good shape and resistant to future occurrences of gum disease, you must brush and floss daily, eat a healthy diet, avoid tobacco use, and schedule regular dental checkups. Even after a successful scaling and root planing, if you don’t attend to your teeth properly, it’s quite likely you’ll develop gum disease again.

Surgical Treatment Options

If the tissue or bone surrounding your teeth is too damaged to be repaired with non-surgical treatment, several surgical procedures are available to prevent severe damage and to restore a healthy smile. We will recommend the procedure that is best suited to the condition of your teeth and gums.

Th following is a list of common types of periodontal surgery.  A full description of these procedures can be found in the Services section of our website.

• Flap Curettage/Osseous Surgery/Pocket Depth Reduction

• Regenerative Therapy

• Soft-Tissue Graft