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San Marco's California Dentist Adriatic Dental—What is Periodontal Disease?
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Your gums are an important foundation for your teeth and provide stability for ALL of your dental work—so it’s important to keep them healthy. Periodontal disease is the most common chronic bacterial infection in adults, and if not treated properly, it can spread rapidly throughout your entire foundation.
This sometimes silent infection occurs when harmful bacteria grow beneath the gums and create "pockets"-spaces or gaps in the gums around the teeth. Left untreated, periodontal bacteria can lead to bone and tooth loss that can threaten your foundation-and overall health.
The facts about periodontal disease
Periodontal disease is a persistent bacterial infection that:
Attacks the gums and bones that hold the teeth in place
Can return and spread if left untreated
May lead to surgery or tooth loss
Affects 3 out of 4 American adults
Learn about Perio Protect: One of Adriatic Dental Treatment Options
Perio Protect is a revolutionary new method to treat most periodontal disease (also known as gum disease, gingivitis or periodontitis) using an FDA-cleared medical device to deliver dentist-prescribed medications directly to the source of the infection. It's painless and easy, with years of reliable and proven clinical results.
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WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
Because periodontal disease attacks beneath the gum line, you could have an infection and not know it. And while there are usually a few signs and symptoms of the disease-red, swollen, or bleeding gums; bad breath; loose teeth; gums that bleed upon brushing-some people experience no symptoms at all.
Determining if you have periodontal disease
Any member of the Adriatic Dental team—your dentist, your hygienist, or your periodontist—can determine whether you have periodontal disease by measuring the size of your pockets, or the spaces or gaps in the gums around the teeth. This is done with a special instrument that is much like a tiny ruler. Pockets that measure 4 or more millimeters (mm) in depth, and/or gums that bleed during probing, may mean that infection is present.
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HOW CAN I TREAT IT?
Start by having your dental professional remove the bacterial "intruders"
Dental professionals commonly treat periodontal disease with a mechanical procedure known as scaling and root planing (SRP). Scaling removes plaque, tartar, and stains from the surface of teeth. Planing smooths the rough areas on the roots of teeth to promote healing. Bacteria that hide at the bottom of pockets can be difficult to remove
While SRP has been shown to effectively remove many of the bacteria that cause infection, the instruments used during SRP sometimes can't reach the stubborn bacteria below the gum line and in the bottom of pockets that can cause the infection to return and spread.
Fight the infection with a locally administered antibiotic (LAA)
Periodontal disease is a chronic bacterial infection and, as with any infection, treatment with an antibiotic is common. Dental professionals often add an LAA directly to the site of infection where bacteria hide. Many dental professionals choose to add an LAA because:
LAAs can help reduce the bacteria that SRP can leave behind
Antibiotics treat infections in the body and periodontal disease is a chronic bacterial infection
Clinical studies prove that SRP is more effective at reducing the harmful effects of periodontal disease when LAAs are added
These effective treatments can reduce harmful bacteria before infection spreads and gum disease worsens.
HOW CAN I KEEP IT AWAY?
Maintain good oral home care
Following some basic oral hygiene guidelines at home can help prevent periodontal disease. You should brush your teeth at least twice a day and clean between the teeth with floss or interdental cleaners once a day to help remove plaque and food debris that toothbrushes may not reach. Your dental professional may also recommend the daily use of an antimicrobial mouth rinse.
Always follow up
Once you receive initial treatment for periodontal disease and the infection has been treated, continuous professional care known as periodontal maintenance should be performed. Because the bacteria that cause periodontal disease are persistent, the infection can return.
Keep your scheduled appointments
If you have received treatment for periodontal disease, please be sure to make—and keep—your follow-up dental appointments for periodontal maintenance so you maintain healthy gums and teeth. It is important for dental professionals to reexamine your gums, make sure the infection is under control, and measure the success of your treatment.
When surgery becomes necessary
If periodontal disease is more serious and Adriatic Dental determines that ARESTIN® (minocycline hydrochloride) Microspheres, 1 mg plus scaling and root planing (SRP) will not eliminate the infection and reduce pocket depth, surgery may be necessary. Periodontal surgery may have to be performed, especially when teeth are loose or have fallen out.
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