Treatment of periodontitis

Periodontitis is a disease that attacks the supporting tissues of the teeth, especially the gums, bone, and periodontal ligament, which is the connection between the teeth and the jawbone. The disease was previously called periodontitis, and the term periodontitis or paradentosis is still in use in some places.

Periodontitis is the second most common oral disease that causes tooth loss after caries. According to the World Health Organization, it is one of the public health problems of today. Therefore, it is very important to be familiar with the symptoms of periodontitis so that it can be treated in a timely manner.

This disease, unfortunately, can destroy the tissue and jaw bone for years, before it is recognized. If the penetration of bacteria into the deeper layers around the teeth occurs, there will be a progressive and irreversible loss of the jaw bone around the teeth.

Symptoms of early periodontitis-gingivitis

Symptoms that may warn of the risk of developing periodontitis are:

• redness of the gums
• gum sensitivity or soreness
• bleeding gums when brushing, flossing, or spontaneously

These symptoms indicate gingivitis, which is an acute inflammation of the gums. Gingivitis is usually the initial stage, which if ignored can progress to a chronic form (periodontitis).

It is important to act on time.

Symptoms of advanced periodontitis

• Unpleasant breath from the mouth
• Gum recession – lengthening of the tooth crown
• Frequent inflammation and bleeding of the gums
• Periodontal pockets: exposed necks of tooth roots and separation of the gums from the teeth
• Black spaces between teeth
• Tooth mobility and loss

The main cause of periodontitis: dental tartar

The main cause of gum disease is hard deposits on the teeth (tartar).

During the day, just a few hours after brushing your teeth, plaque, a soft deposit, begins to form on your teeth. Plaque is a thin layer of protein on the surface of your teeth, bacteria, and food debris, and its mineralization within 24 to 48 hours forms tartar.

Other causes

In addition to plaque and tartar, there is also a genetic basis for the development of periodontitis.

Some systemic diseases (e.g. diabetes), medications (e.g. chemotherapeutic agents), and hormonal changes (e.g. pregnancy) can also contribute to the development of periodontitis. During pregnancy, there is a greater tendency for gum inflammation and therefore a greater risk of developing periodontitis. This is why more frequent professional dental cleanings are necessary during pregnancy.

The dangers of periodontitis

Periodontitis is a disease of decay of the supporting structures of the tooth and resorption of the bone in which the tooth is located in the jaw, which leads to the mobility of the tooth and later its loss.

The connection between periodontitis and cardiovascular diseases, rheumatoid arthritis and various autoimmune diseases has also been established. This makes periodontitis dangerous for the overall health of the patient.

How is periodontitis treated?

The Apolonija Dental Polyclinic applies European periodontal protocols. They refer to the assessment of the stage of the disease and the individual procedure of treatment and monitoring.

Periodontal protocol in Apollonia

1) Professional tartar cleaning and patient education

2) Maintaining oral hygiene according to periodontal protocol

• Regularity and persistence in maintaining hygiene in the fight against periodontal disease is a priority
• It is necessary to brush your teeth two to three times a day and use dental floss and an interdental brush for certain hard-to-reach places.
• Our dentists will explain the oral hygiene protocol to you in detail.

2) Initial periodontal therapy

• it is performed under local anesthesia, includes deep cleaning of the periodontal pockets and stimulation of their closure
• includes the removal of retention areas around fillings where plaque, tartar and bacteria are retained
• Initial periodontal therapy will allow tissue healing to begin.

3) Steam control

• a few days after initial periodontal therapy
• additional cleaning and removal of active gum inflammation

4) Restoration of teeth and prosthetic replacements

• if necessary, inadequate fillings or crowns are replaced
• it is necessary to remove all places that retain bacteria

5) Follow-up after initial therapy

• A patient who is in a periodontal protocol is scheduled for dental check-ups 4 times a year, where new tartar deposits are regularly removed and areas where inflammation is still present are treated.
• Long-term persistence is important for treating or keeping periodontitis under control.
• Since some patients eventually start to ignore advice and believe that the disease has gone away forever, we have developed a system for monitoring and exchanging information with patients.
• Our system and protocol therefore leads to successful results in the treatment of periodontitis.

Regenerative therapy of the jaw bone

Regenerative therapy is used to treat advanced periodontitis in some cases. It is a method of guided bone regeneration using periodontal membranes. Bone substitute materials are often used. We stimulate regeneration using a blood derivative of plasma rich in growth factors: PRGF-Endoret. Read more about guided bone regeneration here.

What if you have lost most of your teeth due to periodontitis?

All-on-4: bridge on dental implants

In cases of very advanced periodontitis, it will be necessary to extract the teeth and remove the sources of infection, providing the patient with new teeth and a new smile.

One of the main purposes of the All-on-4 dental implant bridge is to help completely edentulous patients.
All-on-4 is the ideal solution for restoring lost teeth for periodontal patients.
Learn more about the All-on-4 dental implant bridge on our website “All-on-4, dental implant bridge” .