WHAT IS PERIODONTAL DISEASE?
Periodontal disease is a nonpainful bacterial infection. As the bacteria build up underneath the gum tissue pockets are formed where bacteria thrive and eat away at the thin plate of bone that support the teeth. If the plaque and bacteria are not removed in a timely fashion, it may cause infection, inflammation, bone loss, and loose teeth or loss of teeth. Research suggests that there may be a link between periodontal disease and other health concerns, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE:
- Smoking
- Systemic disease (such as Diabetes)
- Many Medications
- Genetics
- A change in the bacteria that form the plaque
- Person to Person infection through saliva
OSSEOUS SURGERY is recommend when the periodontal pockets have not responded to more conservative threrapy such as high quality dental maintenance cleanings and deep scaling and root planing with local anesthetic.
THE GOAL is to clean out the tartar and bacteria that have built up in periodontal pockets whick are too deep for the patient to keep clean with normal brushing and flossing. Surgery is performed in our office via local anesthetic. For patient comfort, Dr. Pirie uses the DentalVibe Instrument that blocks any pain while administering local anesthesia. After the disease is cleaned out around the roots of the teeth, the gums are tightened around the teeth, sutures are places, a protective dressing is applied and several post-op visits are scheduled.
FOLLOW-UP (after approximately three months) consists of re-evaluation of the gum tissue, re-probe to measure the healed pocket depts, a high quality dental cleanings with micro-headed instruments, and to establish a maintenance program usually alternating with the general dentist.