Periodontal Treatment in Bayside, NY
Periodontal diseases are infections that target your gums, your alveolar bone, and your periodontal ligament rather than your actual teeth. They can start as gingivitis which targets your gums and then move onto other structures.
They are often caused by a mixture of dental plaque and bacteria. You might suffer the from the following symptoms:
- Bleeding or swollen gums
- Bad breath
- Chewing might be painful
- Sensitive teeth
- Loose teeth
- Gum recession
If you have gum disease, it should be treated right away. It has been linked to increasing your chance of conditions such as strokes, heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory disease.
When you have been diagnosed with periodontal disease, there are three phases that Doctor Aram Cazazian at Bayside Family Dentistry in Bayside, NY will go through for treatment. These are as follows:
Step One: Etiological Phase
The etiological phase will consist of attempting to control the infection while restoring healthy microbiota that should be present in your mouth. The team at Bayside Family Dentistry will attempt to find out what’s causing the periodontal disease in the first place. You will learn what you need to do at home, including taking care of your health in general. If you smoke, you’ll be instructed to quit. Scaling and root planning will also happen during this phase. This is when the dentist will thoroughly deep clean your teeth and remove plaque. You might also be prescribed medication to take.
Step Two: Surgical Phase
If the etiological phase wasn’t effective, you will move into the surgical treatment. This will most likely happen if pockets of infection, plaque, and tarter are deep enough that they can’t be cleaned out. This will happen somewhere between 4 and 8 weeks following the start of the treatment.
Surgery involves leveling small bone defects or using regenerative surgery methods for deep bone defects. The end result of these surgeries is to get rid of space between the teeth and bone that can be broken or destroyed by periodontal disease. This makes it harder for bacteria, tarter, and plaque to fester.
Step Three: Maintenance Phase
Once you’ve gone through the etiological and surgical phases, you’ll enter maintenance, which is meant to prevent periodontal disease from returning. Bayside Family Dentistry will give you instructions on oral hygiene practices you should follow, such as brushing and flossing daily. Follow your dentist’s advice!