Periodontal treatment refers to any procedure used to repair the damage done by periodontal disease. Periodontal means "around the tooth" and when dentists talk about periodontal disease they are talking about gum disease. This is an infection of the gums caused by the build of plaque. You may have heard of plaque, virtually every mouthwash commercial talks about it and its baby brother, tartar, and your dentist or hygienist has probably nagged you about it at some point in your life. Once plaque has caused gum disease it can set off a chain of events. Gum disease can cause a receding gum line and tooth loss. Tooth loss can cause a shifting of the teeth and create difficulty in chewing and speaking as well as....more tooth loss. In the end you can end up with a pretty nasty mouth, if gum disease is left untreated.

       Periodontal treatment can be surgical and non-surgical depending on the severity of the case. Non-surgical procedures can be used when the progression of the disease is diagnosed early and treatment begins immediately. A periodontal probe is used to examine the depth of the pockets gum diesease will form around the teeth. Advances in dental technology have even allowed us to put small cameras at the end of these probes in order to help dentist make usre the pockets are completely cleaned. Non-surgical treatment is basically extreme oral hygiene. Scaling and root planing is the most common form of this procedure.

       When periodontal treatment is needed non-surgical methods generally tend to precede surgical procedures even if the case is seriously advanced. This is basically just to make sure everything is clean so that the surgical procedure can reverse the damage done. Crown lengthening, regenerative procedures and pocket depth reduction are certain types of surgical procedures that you dentist may use. Even if periodontal surgery is done the patient needs to pay special attention top proper tooth and gum care in order to aid the healing and prevent further need for any such procedure.

       If you are having a problem with gum disease that requires periodontal treatment please feel free to call the Atlanta Dental Group PC to schedule a dental examination in order to determine what will work best for you. We are located in the Midtown/Buckhead area of Atlanta Georgia. Our dentists are dedicated to their patients' good health and well being. You are welcome to join our family of patients. If you would like to make a free dental consultation with Atlanta General Dentist, Dr. Mark Allan Padolsky, call 404-874-7428.