How Is Gum Disease Diagnosed?

Gum disease is normally diagnosed through a dental exam. Your gums will be checked for swelling, bleeding, and firmness, and your teeth will be checked for sensitivity and movement. The bone supporting your teeth will be examined with X-rays.

A periodontal probe will determine the progress of your gum disease. The probe is gently inserted into the gums and pockets surrounding the teeth to measure the depth of the pocket. Deeper pockets indicate greater severity.

After the evaluation, your Kallangur dentist will make treatment recommendations.

What Gum Disease Treatments are Available?

The purpose of gum disease treatment is to control the existing infection and to halt the development of the disease. Oral hygiene and healthy eating at home are a great start, but the only way to cure gum disease is to see a professional dentist.

Scaling and Root Planing

If your dentist concludes that there is bone loss or that your gums are receding, a common treatment is a rigorous deep cleaning, non-surgical method known as scaling and root planing. Scaling means scraping the plaque and tartar away from below and above the gum line. Root planing smooths uneven spots on the tooth root where bacteria accumulates. This smooth and clean surface assists the gums in reattaching to the teeth and retards the ability of bacteria to take hold..

Curettage

This treatment consists of scraping away unhealthy gum tissue from the infected area and then allowing it to heal.

Flap Surgery

Here your dentist lifts the gums away and removes the tartar as needed. They will then sew the gums back in position so the tissue fits firmly around the teeth. This procedure also decreases the size of the pocket, giving bacteria less room to grow back.

Bone grafts

This procedure uses fragments of your own bone, synthetic bone, or donated bone to replace bone destroyed by gum disease. The grafts serve as a platform for the regrowth of bone, which restores a foundation for your teeth.

Other treatments include Soft tissue grafts, Guided tissue regeneration, and Bone surgery, in the most serious cases.

Medications

Your dentist may prescribe medications to help control the bacteria that cause gum disease. Antibiotic gels, fibres and chips can also be directly applied to the infected area.

High-Quality Dental Care At Prevent Dental Suite

Prevent Dental Suite is comprised of dedicated dental professionals who provide gentle and patient-oriented care to offer the best-quality dental service in Kallangur. Dr. Shilpa Gupta is the principal dentist at our Kallangur clinic, and combines many years’ experience with personable service.

We go above and beyond to help improve the dental care of your children, family, and friends with affordable quality dental care.