Westcoast International Dental Clinic Vietnam

Periodontitis (Gum Disease) Treatment

How To Treat Periodontitis (Gum Disease)

Periodontitis (gum disease) is a serious disease that can wreak havoc on the gums, the bones and tissue of the mouth, and the teeth.

Looking after your gums is just as important to your general oral health as looking after your teeth is. Your gums are composed of soft mucosal tissue that surrounds and protects the base of your teeth, so the onset of any gum disease can cause sensitivity, pain and bleeding as well as leading to eventual tooth loss. If you suffer from periodontitis (gum disease), you’ll need to consider treatments that can balance your oral hygiene and restore your perfect smile.

Types of Gum Disease

There are two main types of gum disease, of which periodontitis is the more advanced. Mild gum disease is called gingivitis, typified by tenderness, swelling, and light bleeding—especially after cleaning your teeth. It’s usually caused by inflammation resulting from the buildup of plaque, most often caused by poor teeth cleaning habits. Gingivitis can develop quickly—and if left untreated, the condition can deteriorate rapidly and become full-blown periodontitis.

In adults, it’s the most common cause of tooth loss. Research in the US suggests that periodontitis is a highly prevalent oral disease amongst Americans, with an estimated 42 percent of dentate US adults above 30 suffering from the disease, 7.8 percent in a severe form. Similar studies in Australia showed periodontitis is present in almost 20 percent of adults (predominantly males) aged 35–54, and close to 40 percent of the population aged 55 and over.

What is Periodontitis?

Periodontitis occurs when plaque spreads too far into the gums, carrying toxins that attack the structures holding the teeth in place. The gums then start to pull away from the teeth, opening pockets that can easily get infected. This infection can loosen the teeth to the point where they must be removed.

Recent medical research has highlighted the importance of healthy gums in terms of our overall health. Bacteria can accumulate in the mouth if the teeth and gums are not properly cared for, which can then enter the bloodstream and contribute to clogged arteries—that can in turn put pressure on the heart. Research conducted at the University of Connecticut Health Centre showed that treating gum disease can improve the linings of the blood vessels, giving rise to a decreased risk of heart disease and cardiac arrest.

There are four types of periodontitis (gum disease):

Chronic periodontitis: The gums recede causing pockets to occur around the teeth, most commonly in adults.
Aggressive periodontitis: Swift gum loss and bone deterioration.
Periodontitis from systemic diseases: Connected with heart disease, diabetes and respiratory diseases, occurring early in life.
Necrotizing periodontal disease: The gum tissue, ligaments and bones rot, causing lesions, commonly in patients suffering from malnutrition or immune system diseases such as HIV.

Periodontitis (Gum Disease) Risk Factors

Apart from gingivitis itself, there are numerous risk factors that come into play in the onset of periodontitis. Failure to maintain proper oral hygiene remains the number one factor that can lead to the disease, as well as habits that introduce toxins to the oral cavity such as smoking or recreational drug use—including the smoking of marijuana or regular vaping. Other indicators can include obesity, poor nutrition, medications that affect the mouth and gums, autoimmune disease, changes in hormones, a genetic predisposition, or the presence of related diseases such as diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis. In developing countries such as Vietnam, many of the older and middle-aged generations have had poor access to preventative dental care until recent years, and these people can often suffer lifelong problems if the disease has progressed to a late stage. The absence of routine care has led to many teeth simply needing to be removed.

Periodontitis Treatment

Sufferers of periodontitis should seek treatment early. This doesn’t have to involve a surgical procedure if the disease is in its early stages. Antibiotics can be administered to control and reduce the infection, usually in the form of gels and mouth washes, but this is not considered an effective solution and can lead to increased bacterial resistance to antibiotics and a higher level of more sinister and destructive bacteria populating the infected area. Sometimes a course of oral antibiotics should be taken if an abscess has occurred, but direct dental intervention should also be performed.

A direct approach is scaling, where a tool such as a dental instrument, laser or ultrasound device is used to remove tartar and bacteria from the surface of your teeth and within your gums. This is the typical technique encountered when you have dental cleaning performed at a dental office. Another common nonsurgical treatment is root planing, a technique to smooth the surfaces of the teeth roots, which has the dual effect of both removing bacterial toxins that cause inflammation and slow healing as well as inhibiting any further buildup of tartar and bacteria. Root planing is like smoothing out a surface of a piece of wood, where the smoother and glossier it becomes from sanding and polishing, the easier it is for it to be cleaned and free of debris.

Modern dentistry has seen great advances in the use of lasers to treat periodontitis. Lasers play a complementary role in preserving and regenerating tissue as well as building bone—although the research is not definitive on what the best methodology is. Powerful laser instruments are used by dentists to eliminate bacteria from infected gum pockets, after which tartar is shaken off the teeth by ultrasound (rather than physically scraped off, which could otherwise damage the root surface). Laser light also stimulates stem cells in the blood surrounding the gum pocket, stimulating the body’s natural wound sealing process. Laser treatments for periodontitis may prevent further damage to the teeth and gums caused by physical dental instruments. Overall, many academics in the periodontology field believe this to be a promising area that still needs more research.

Dental Implants—Restoring Lost Teeth

For those people who have already lost one or more teeth due to periodontal disease, dental implants can be an option. Dental implants look, feel and act just like real teeth, held in place by a titanium post that is drilled into the jawbone at the site of the tooth loss, serving as an artificial root. Implants can replace a single missing tooth, a row of teeth, several missing teeth or an entire dental arch. Once an implant is put into place—a procedure that can be completed within a single session—an abutment is fitted onto it that will hold the crown—an artificial tooth, usually made of a ceramic material that closely matches the look of real teeth. Dental implants can completely restore a normal dental aesthetic in patients whose struggle with periodontal disease has already resulted in tooth loss.

Preventing Periodontitis

Of course, it’s always better to prevent the onset of a disease than it is to suffer from it and require treatment. Many forms of periodontitis can easily be prevented by twice-daily brushing and cleaning between your teeth with floss (or an interdental cleaner) every day. Unfortunately however, there are types of periodontitis that are aggressive or gene-based that require early intervention, and you may still end up losing many teeth. Avoid smoking any substance and maintain a healthy lifestyle, especially by eating balanced meals. Don’t forget to have regular checkups at your dentist to ensure the long-term health of your gums, helping your teeth to last a lifetime. At Westcoast, we believe in early prevention and intervention for periodontitis and are very proactive in helping patients understand this silent disease.