What is Non-Surgical Periodontal Treatment?
Periodontal (gum) disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults in our country. It also is associated with heart disease, pneumonia, and low birth weight or premature birth. Gum disease is an infection of the gums which over time destroys the supportive tissues around the teeth. Non-surgical treatment for this condition includes thorough cleaning of the teeth (scaling and root planing), antibiotics, brushing, flossing, water-picking, and irrigation of medicaments under the gums to destroy the bacteria causing the infection. People who have gum disease also may need more frequent prophylaxis (cleaning) in order to keep the bacteria to a minimum. The benefits of this thorough type of treatment is that the bone loss can be slowed or completely stopped, resulting in less tooth loss and overall improved health.
