Other Treatments

1. Supragingival cleaning – The dentist will thoroughly clean the area above the gum line with scaling tools to remove plaque and calculus.

2. Subgingival cleaning – This is very important for patients with periodontal disease because the dentist is able to remove calculus from the gum pockets and beneath the gum line.

3. Root planing – Root planing is the smoothing of the tooth root by the dentist to eliminate any remaining bacteria. These bacteria are extremely dangerous to periodontitis sufferers, so eliminating them is a priority.

4. Medication – Following scaling and root planing, an antibiotic or antimicrobial gel is often placed in the gum pockets. These promote fast and healthy healing in the pockets and help ease pain and discomfort.

5. X-ray and examination – Routine X-rays play an important role when it comes to periodontal disease. X-rays show the extent of bone and gum recession, and also help the dentist in identifying areas which may need future attention.

6. Prophylaxis is recommended twice annually as a preventative measure, but should be performed every 3-4 months on periodontitis patients. Though gum disease cannot be completely reversed, prophylaxis is one of the tools the dentist can use to effectively halt its destructive progress.