Periodontal Disease Treatment: Before & Aftercare Tips

 

Even with adequate oral hygiene and regular dental checkups, you can still get periodontal disease. For a better prognosis, the condition should be addressed in its initial stages to prevent the spread of infection and potential tooth loss. Periodontics is the treatment and care of gums, and this may involve root planing and scaling, and surgery in severe cases.

Our dentist near you can restore your dental health with periodontal disease treatment. Below, find out what to expect before and after treatment:

What to Expect Before Treatment

Initially, our dentist will require you to stop certain medications, such as aspirin, and over-the-counter pain relievers, a few weeks before your treatment. In addition, most dentists recommend that you don’t smoke or drink alcohol for at least 24 hours before your operation.

During the day of the operation, it’s important to ask someone to take you to the clinic since sedatives impair judgment, making driving unsafe before the anesthesia wears off.

Deep Cleaning

A dentist or periodontist can treat periodontal disease in its initial stages by doing extensive cleanings to halt the progression of gum disease. Deep cleaning includes:

First, our dentist cleans the gums thoroughly before surgery by performing deep scaling, which removes tartar and bacteria from the teeth and gums.

Scaling and Root Planing

A root planing procedure will smoothen the tooth root’s surfaces, making it less likely for tartar and bacteria to accumulate. The tartar on the root is also removed with this procedure.
Your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic before your procedure to reduce your chances of acquiring an infection.

The surgical procedure Root planning and scaling may not be enough treatment. Surgery will be required if the pockets don’t heal from root planing and scaling.

The surgical procedure takes less than two hours and is usually performed under local anesthesia to minimize discomfort. Our dentist will then use special apparatus to clean the infected tooth root tissue to prevent further infection.

Surgery allows our dentist to clean tartar and plaque from hard-to-reach areas, and the gums are then stitched. Periodontal treatment may also include bone and soft tissue grafts to regenerate the lost bone due to infection.

Aftercare Tips Following Periodontal Treatment

After a periodontal treatment procedure, you may experience sensitivity from taking cold beverages or foods. This discomfort is usually expected, and it happens due to the removal of the tartar and minute part of the root during root planning. However, sensitivity wears off after a few days, but in some cases, it takes longer, and in rare cases, it may become permanent.

Follow the below tips to minimize potential emergencies after periodontal treatment:

  • Avoid taking overly cold or spicy foods and beverages for a while after the root scaling and planning procedure. If the need arises, use recommended desensitizing tooth gels to manage the sensitivity.
  • Take foods that are easy to chew, for instance, yogurt, soups, or pasta, and avoid crunchy foods like corn for the initial days following the procedure. This ensures the hard foods don’t poke into the surgical area and cause bleeding.
  • Rinse your mouth regularly with warm saline water. Mix ¼ teaspoonful of baking soda and another ¼ teaspoonful of table salt into a cup of warm water as the rinse solution; this soothes tender gum tissues following the procedure.
  • Practice regular dental hygiene by brushing your teeth with recommended tooth gels. However, avoid the surgical area when brushing. Brushing removes plaque, and this promotes healing after periodontal surgical therapy.

Use a soft rounded toothbrush and gently brush your teeth and tongue.

  • Take the prescribed antibiotics as directed. Even if you feel better, proceed with taking the total dose.
  • Avoid smoking. Smoking inhibits recovery after the surgery. Furthermore, smoking stains your teeth and darkens your gums.

Conclusion

Gum disease is one of the major causes of tooth loss; moreover, this can ruin your perfect smile makeover and impact your social life. So when you notice the early signs such as bleeding, red, swollen gums, or loose teeth, visit our dentist in Spring, TX 77379. Our dentist is experienced in treating gum disease to ensure your well-being.

Call or schedule your appointment today with Spring Creek Dental to know more about periodontal disease treatment in Spring, TX!