Gum Treatment

The first thing to do is to visit a dental clinic for a thorough checkup of your gums and teeth. We can measure the “cuff” of gum around each tooth to see if there is a sign of periodontal disease. X-rays may be required to know the bone that has been lost. This assessment enables dentists to prescribe you the right treatment.

Gum disease causes swelling, soreness, or infection of the tissues supporting the teeth. There are two main forms of gum disease: gingivitis and periodontal disease.

Whether you need surgery or not will depend on how advanced your periodontal disease is. There are non-surgical treatments, such as root scaling and planing available, for those with mild gum disease. If you are in the advanced stages of gum disease, you may benefit from having surgery. With the latest technology and advanced techniques available today, many surgical procedures including laser therapy can be performed with little discomfort.

The first thing to do is visit for a thorough check-up of your teeth and gums. We can measure the ‘cuff’ of gum around each tooth to see if there is any sign that periodontal disease has started. X-rays may also be needed to see the amount of bone that has been lost. This assessment is very important, so the correct treatment can be prescribed for you.

Unfortunately, gum disease progresses painlessly on the whole so that you do notice the damage it is doing. However, the bacteria are sometimes more active and this makes your gums sore. This can lead to gum abscesses, and pus may ooze from around the teeth. Over several years, if left untreated, it can lead to substantial bone and soft tissue (gum) loss and ultimately tooth loss. There are also indications that dental infections can cause heart problems or exacerbate the symptoms of diabetes, stroke, etc.

The flap procedure is necessary when severe gum disease (periodontitis) has damaged the bone that supports your teeth.

If you maintain good dental care after the surgery, the flap procedure should allow you to clean your teeth and gums better. Your gums should become pink and healthy again.

Please follow a soft food diet, taking care to avoid the surgical area(s) when chewing. Chew on the opposite side and do NOT bite into food if the procedure was done in the front of the mouth. Avoid sticky, hard (such as ice cubes, nuts, popcorn, chips), spicy, highly seasoned, or acidic foods in your diet. Foods such as sooji, khichdi, soups, pasta, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, macaroni & cheese, etc. are best. Be sure to maintain adequate nutrition and drink plenty of fluids. Avoid alcohol (even beer and wine) and smoking until after your post-operative appointment. Smoking is not advised during the 7-14 days following surgery.

Maintenance therapy is used to help prevent further infection from occurring in patients who have already received periodontal treatment. Our gum surgeon will tailor a program to fit your needs, which will include periodontal checkups, plaque, and tartar removal and sometimes polishing your teeth or checking your bite. The frequency of visits varies from case to case, from every few weeks to four times per year. We will also show you how to effectively remove the soft plaque yourself, by cleaning all the surfaces of your teeth thoroughly at home. Gum disease usually will come back if you do not maintain your oral hygiene well. However, the progression of gum disease can be slowed down or stopped as long as you keep up the home care you have been taught. You must make sure you remove plaque every day and go for regular check-ups with us.