Treatment of periodontitis
What is periodontitis
Bleeding and swollen gums are often the first, and usually the only reliable indication for the patient that he suffers from gum inflammation (gingivitis).
Such gum infections frequently develop into the inflammation of periodontium (periodontitis).
The main reason for periodontitis is plaque/calculus in the dental-neck area and in the areas between teeth. The longer this plaque grows, the more aggressive and damaging the bacteria that thrive in them turn out to be.
In the process they destroy the periodontium and along with it the bone surrounding the tooth. Deep gum pockets appear, the teeth become loose and can eventually fall out.
The periodontitis takes its course over a long period of time, often for years, creeping up in a sneaky and pain-free manner. After the 30th year of age it is by far the most common reason for the loss of teeth. Women are subject to it more commonly than men. Smokers in comparison with nonsmokers have a 4- to 6-times higher risk of developing periodontitis.
A non-treated periodontitis burdens the whole system and has negative influence on other bodily organs (e.g. coronary vessels). They may lead to premature births as well. Therefore gum diseases should be treated as early as possible.
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Ling-lasting success through prevention
The deciding factor in a lasting and successful treatment is the attitude of the patient:
- the wide-scope and consistent oral hygiene
- regular every-six-month check-ups, as well as
- having a professional cleaning of the teeth done by his dentist.
As smoking poses one of the main risk factors, the patient should give it up. For smokers it is - for the sake of the health of their teeth - especially important to pay attention to a balanced diet and the optimal intake of vitamins and minerals, as well as appropriate vitamin-trace element preparations.
Periodontitis treatment
The starting point of any periodontitis treatment is the mechanical removal of the plaque on the dental roots as well as of the inflamed tissue in the gum pockets (covered by state insurance) which we always perform with manual or / and ultrasonic instruments.
As a rule we start with the cleaning of the pockets (closed debridement). Whenever after the healing of this closed periodontal treatment occur further deep gum pockets, they are opened and cleaned under the direct supervision of the dentist who does the treatment.
All steps of dental treatment can be successful exclusively when accompanied by very good oral hygiene and regular check-ups. (also see analgo-sedation and full-mouth-disinfection (FMD))
Modern treatments of periodontitis
Photodynamic lasertherapy - Regenerative therapy
Modern treatment procedures make it possible to achieve perceptibly better healing results in comparison with a simple cleaning of the pockets that are paid by state health insurance. This has been proven by numerous scientific studies.
A remarkably improved bactericides and therefore fast, low-pain and long-lasting healing may be achieved by the closed periodontitis - therapy with the application of special lasers. Studies show that this proven procedure kills virtually all bacteria that manage to survive the mechanical cleaning of the pockets and by doing so it markedly improves the healing process.
With modern, regenerative procedures we can achieve the rebuilding of the lost structures, including the bone.
Many procedures are offered to reach this goal. At present in most cases, the most effective regenerative procedure is the performance of so called Enamel-Matrix-Protein (Emdogain) as part of the open debridement, which may successfully induce a recreation of periodontium with foreseeable costs.
Costs
The costs for a periodontitis-treatment are, as a rule, covered by state health insurance.
The treatment must be applied for at the health insurance office. The approval takes place after a procedure phase that takes three-week at the most.
Steps taken in order to rebuild the jawbone and soft tissues, such as treatment with the Enamel-Matrix-Protein (Emdogain), however, will not be paid by state health insurance.