Periodontal disease is an infection of the tissues that support your teeth. Also known as “gum disease,” it begins with the formation of plaque on your teeth that hardens into calculus (“tartar”). Good oral hygiene at home is limited to controlling plaque, while professional teeth cleanings remove calculus. Unfortunately, if calculus remains on your teeth and below your gumline, it can easily lead to serious forms of periodontal disease.
There are two stages of this disease: Gingivitis and Periodontitis. The first stage is Gingivitis—a mild and reversible form of periodontal disease, and only affects the gums. Periodontitis can progress from gingivitis, and causes tooth and jaw bone loss, and can also lead to heart disease. Some of the warning signs of periodontal disease are:
For more information on Periodontal Disease, please click on http://www.ada.org/public/topics/periodontal_diseases.asp.
Non-surgical therapy may be recommended if you’re diagnosed with gingivitis or a mild form of periodontitis. Non-surgical therapy may also be performed in moderate to severe cases of periodontitis to slow the disease progression and to improve the overall tissue quality prior to surgery and also to help limit the areas requiring surgical therapy. Non-surgical periodontal treatment includes scaling and root planing, adjunctive therapy such as systemic antibiotics and local delivery of antimicrobials, and periodontal maintenance. For more information on non-surgical treatment of periodontal disease, please click on http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/pubs/jada/patient/patient_46.pdf .
Periodontal surgery may be recommended if you have been diagnosed with periodontal disease. Periodontal surgery is needed when the tissue around your teeth is unhealthy and cannot be repaired with non-surgical treatment. For more information on surgical treatment of periodontal disease, please click on http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/pubs/jada/patient/patient_46.pdf.