Periodontal Disease: What are Your Options When You Opt For Non-Surgical Treatment?
According to the CDC, more than 50% of Americans suffer from varying degrees of periodontal diseases. This is primarily because many people tend to neglect their gums in their overall dental care routine. Periodontal conditions can, fortunately, be effectively treated using various non-surgical and surgical techniques.
Routine dental care visits to a reputable dentist such as Scott W. Grant, DMD can effectively help spot signs of early periodontal disease. For early-stage periodontal disease, non-surgical treatments are usually the most efficient option.
Here are the various non-surgical treatments your dentist might recommend:
Scaling and Root Planing
This is the conventional treatment option for periodontal diseases. It involves a deep cleaning of your teeth’s roots to get rid of tartar and plaque accumulation and smooth out the roots. Some patients who undergo scaling and root planing will need adjunctive treatments such as host modulation and systemic and topical antibiotics. Most people, however, require no additional therapies following scaling and root planing.
Tray Delivery Systems
This therapy option includes custom-fitted trays which deliver topical medications prescribed by your dentist. The standard drug used in these tray delivery systems is an antibiotic that suppresses bacterial load in your gum pockets and stops your disease’s progression. To achieve results, you may need to use the trays for approximately five minutes daily for up to five times.
Laser Periodontal Therapy
This is the newest treatment modality in periodontal disease. In this treatment, your dentist uses a precision laser to kill over 99% of the bacteria on your gums. Laser periodontal therapy is a very efficient, fast, and virtually painless procedure with minimal gum loss and speedy recovery times.
Advanced periodontal disease can get challenging and costly to treat. Rather than wait for symptoms of gum disease to become evident, you can catch it at its onset through routine gum examinations. This way, you can benefit from efficient and inexpensive treatment procedures.
