What is Periodontal treatment?

Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss for adults, so periodontal treatments should be undergone when your dentist advises it. Prolonging this type of treatment could leave you with recurrent and possibly even long-term symptoms, which could lead to tooth loss.

Periodontal treatment aims to heal the gums which are afflicted by gum disease. Gum disease can be minor and unnoticeable but has the potential to develop into a severe and debilitating problem.

What are Periodontal Disease Symptoms?

Many people can benefit from having periodontal treatment, and it will be up to your dentist to decide, after they’ve done a thorough periodontal assessment, which treatment you might benefit from. See your dentist if you are experiencing symptoms like:

• Bleeding gums.
• Chronic bad breath.
• Red or swollen gums.
• Loose teeth.
• Large gaps between your teeth.
• Recurrent infections.
• Receding gums.

How long would treatment take?

Periodontal treatment may need to be done over the space of one or two dental visits. This isn’t always the case, though. What is necessary for your treatment may be completely different for someone else. Your dentist will advise you on your own specific requirements once you’ve had a consultation.

Will it hurt?

Treatment might be painful, but this would depend on which treatment you are undertaking specifically because periodontal treatment helps a range of different people with different severities of gum disease. Your dentist will probably use a local anaesthetic during the treatment if they believe you’ll be at risk of severe pain.

Is it surgical?

Dental surgery could also be used if you’re at a stage where the disease has become too severe. Closed surgery, for example, would be used if tartar build-up has occurred just below the gum line, while open surgery may be needed if the tartar build-up has gone deeper under the gumline.