Periodontitis is one of the most severe gum diseases. The symptoms of periodontitis are devastation and can upset one’s entire oral health. An entire branch of dentistry called periodontics is dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of gum diseases.
At our dental practice in Encino, Dr. Tebbi provides the best treatment for gum diseases. Over his long-spanning career, he has treated hundreds of patients with gum diseases with an impeccable rate of success. Excellent service combined with state-of-the-art technology makes our practice one of the best in the region.
How does one develop periodontitis?
Most of the oral diseases and infections are caused due to the accumulated plaque and tartar deposits on the surface of the teeth. These deposits contain numerous bacteria that release harmful acids when they feed on the food debris in the mouth. The acids can infect the teeth and the surrounding soft tissues.
The patient initially contracts a gum disease known as gingivitis. It is characterized by the decay of gums, pain, bleeding, and other mild symptoms. However, when this infection isn’t treated at the earliest, it could lead to periodontitis, whose symptoms are severe compared to other gum diseases.
Signs and symptoms
- Extreme pain while brushing the teeth and chewing food
- The gums would feel numb
- Inflammation and redness
- Extensive decay of the tissues of the gums
- Bleeding, the release of pus, and formation of an abscess
- The infection could spread to the teeth and lead to a root canal infection
- The jawbone would start to gradually deteriorate, as a result of which the teeth could loosen from their sockets.
- Receding of gums, making the teeth look longer than they are. The root surfaces would be exposed due to this.
How is periodontitis treated?
Most dentists say that though periodontitis isn’t completely curable, it can definitely be controlled. As an initial method of providing relief from the condition, the plaque and tartar deposits will be removed from the surface of the teeth and roots. The procedure is called scaling and root planing. For this, we use a hand-held ultrasonic scaling device which has a tip that vibrates at ultrasonic frequencies.
Next, the decayed gum tissues have to be removed and replaced with healthy ones. For this, we use a laser tool. The high-intensity laser instantly vaporizes the infected gum tissues and seals the wound. This prevents bleeding, inflammation and also reduces the healing period significantly. A gum graft may be performed in order to restore the volume of the gums. Healthy tissues will be extracted, preferably from the palate, and grafted to the receded area. Medication may be prescribed to be placed on the infected tissues and in the gum pockets. Arestin is the most effective and popularly used one for this purpose.
Call us at (818) 789-2034 or schedule an online appointment to have a consultation with Dr. Daniel Tebbi at our practice in Encino, CA.
