To determine (the seriousness of) periodontitis, we carefully listen to your complaints and examine your mouth and gums: we do this by; 1. Measuring the depth of the space (pocket) between your tooth and gum. We do this by carefully sliding a small metal bar past the tooth to the bottom of the pocket. With healthy gums, the depth of this pocket is usually between 1 and 3 mm deep.
2. Taking X-rays to assess the loss of bone in the places that have deep pockets.
With all this information combined, we can make a clear diagnosis and draw up an individual treatment plan. We will then discuss this plan and the different steps of gum treatment with you. The goal of this gum treatment is the thorough cleaning of the pockets and to prevent further decay. The key to success of the treatment is to achieve and maintain perfect dental hygiene.
The first step of the treatment is to clean under the gums. This is done with special instruments, which can mechanically remove dental plague and calculus under the gums. This often happens in a number of sessions and the gums can be anaesthetized beforehand.
Three months after all pockets have been cleaned, the specialist once again assesses your gums. They will assess whether the inflammation has been reduced and whether your dental hygiene has been improved. If inflammation is still present, you can potentially be treated with local surgery (flap) to stop further loss of bone and in some cases, it’s even possible to develop new bone.
When gum treatment is successful, it’s very important that your dental hygiene remains perfect to prevent relapse. You can achieve this by having regular check-ups and professional cleaning done every 3 to 6 months. This way, your gums are closely watched and should there be any relapse, action can be taken quickly and efficiently.