Gum Disease Treatment

What is gum disease?

Gum disease is an infection in the gums surrounding the teeth. Recognising early signs of gum disease can help you take action before it causes lasting damage, making you feel more in control of your dental health.

Signs of gum disease include bad breath, red, swollen and bleeding gums, mouth sores, receding gum line, pus seeping from the gums and teeth that seem to be loose. Recognising these symptoms can help you seek help early and protect your oral health.

What Causes Gum Disease?

Gum disease is usually caused by the following factors:

• Poor dental hygiene
• Smoking
• Diabetes
• Genetic factors
• Changes in the metabolism and hormone levels during pregnancy, puberty and menopause
• Medications that have oral side effects or dry mouth may lead to gum disease.

How do I prevent gum disease?

Gum disease can be prevented by maintaining proper oral hygiene, such as brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing or using a floss brush daily, not smoking and using a mouth rinse.

How can gum disease be treated?

Depending on the severity of the condition, gum disease can be treated non-surgically or surgically.

Our dental treatments, which vary based on the severity of gum disease and a detailed oral health assessment, include the following:

• Non-surgical professional dental cleaning can remove the buildup of tartar and plaque above and below the gum line. Additionally, under local anaesthesia, deep scaling and root planing are done using a local anaesthetic to remove hardened plaque and calculus from the mouth. Following this, a second procedure targets deeper pockets affected by bacterial buildup.
• For infections in the pockets of the gums, microbial therapy is used to treat bacterial accumulation.
• Surgical treatments include tissue regeneration and laser therapy. Tissue regeneration is used when the bone has been affected by gum disease. The grafting of the bone allows for the bone to re-grow and strengthen, and tissue grafting aids in treating and strengthening weak gums.
• We Offer Laser Periodontal Treatment, an alternative to standard periodontal surgery, which is used for treating periodontal gum disease. Periodontal laser therapy allows your dentist to access inflamed gum tissue more precisely in order to remove the inflamed and infected gum tissue around the tooth. Once the infected gum tissue is removed, your dentist will begin root scaling, in which the tartar build-up around the root of the tooth is removed.

Laser surgery has many benefits, but one of the most important is patient comfort and quicker healing. The absence of pressure and heat creates a much more comfortable experience for the patient, and the laser's precision minimises damage to surrounding tissue.

What happens after treatment?

After you have had treatment for gum disease, you may experience some pain, sensitivity, and minor bleeding of the gums for a few days. Using pain-relieving medication and an antibacterial mouth rinse can help you feel more comfortable and supported during recovery. Following good oral hygiene practices will also promote healing and help you feel confident in our care.

Going forward

Once your active gum disease has been managed, maintaining proper oral hygiene and regular visits to Dr Chodree are crucial to prevent recurrence and ensure your gums stay healthy. Routine check-ups help catch any early signs of infection and keep your oral health on track.