Periodontal disease control is a mandate for everyone who suffers from the disease.  To date, there is no cure for it. 

This is because gum disease is very complex.  Too many variables yet exist for us to find a viable cure.  However, treatments have improved dramatically in the past few years.

Patients who proactively seek treatment more than twice a year can expect to live a normal life if they stay on top or their condition. 

Patients need to see their dentist once every three months in order for periodontal disease control to be effective. 

Gum disease must be closely monitored by dental professionals.  If it is not, it can quickly worsen and spread.  It can destroy soft mouth tissues and even bone, and it will eventually lead to tooth loss. 

The only way to diagnose and manage periodontal disease is with a professional dental exam that specifically targets the disease.

Keep in mind that gum disease is totally unpredictable.

While dental medicine has made great strides forward in detecting and treating periodontal disease, we still have a long way to go before we can accurately predict how and when Periodontitis will strike any given patient next. 

This is due to the fact that the periodontium (the specialized tissues supporting and surrounding the teeth) are made up of many different bones, ligaments, mucosa, and cementum.  Gum disease can easily affect all of these living systems.  Predicting exactly what disease will do next, and where, is still beyond the scope of medicine.

However, when dentists do discover that one of these areas has been affected, periodontal disease control measures can be then be taken in order to minimize destruction of tissue and pain to the patient. 

After diagnosis, the first step in the procedure is scaling and root planing.  This tooth cleaning procedure removes plaque, tartar and bacteria from beneath the gumline.

The reason for cleaning the teeth so thoroughly in this fashion is to rid the patients mouth of the many types of bacterial that grow on the surfaces of teeth.  These bacteria tend to be a direct cause of periodontal disease and have to be eradicated to maintain a healthy mouth.  This treatment is not a one-time remedy, unfortunately.  Many bacteria survive and multiply again.  Sometimes, they adapt to the setback and even double their numbers when they rebound.  This can happen in as little as 90 days, which is another reason to see a dentist once every quarter.   

Periodontal disease control involves of a number of procedures each time the patient comes in. 

When the patient arrives for his or her first quarterly appointment, there a many different ways that dentists can minimize the damage done by the disease. 

         Dentists check jawbone levels with x-rays.

         They check the depth of periodontal pockets.

         Dentists also check for loose teeth and bleeding gums.

         They remove plaque above and below the gumline.  

         Hygienists counsel patients about effective homecare strategies.

         When necessary, dentists will also re-treat the teeth with scaling and root planing and apply a medication or antimicrobial rinse.

Periodontal disease control helps us break the stronghold of bacteria in gums and slow their destructive effects on teeth and other mouth tissues.