It Aims to Prevent Gum Disease

Depending on your particular stage of gum disease, non-surgical periodontal therapy may or may not be the best choice for you. You can talk with your dentist about if you would be a good candidate for this procedure. It’s not for people who have advanced stages of gum disease, but rather for those who are in the beginning stages and can try to turn around their dental health by removing bacteria and plaque.Non-surgical periodontal therapy removes and controls the bacteria that cause gum disease. The procedure’s goal is to help you halt the progression of periodontal disease and get your oral health back. Let’s look at what you can expect during the procedure and how you determine how successful it will be!

What Can I Expect During the Procedure?

During non-surgical periodontal therapy, you’ll be under local anesthesia. Your dentist will then perform a detailed cleaning of your roots, teeth surfaces, and even under your gums if necessary to remove plaque and bacteria. Plaque is scraped away in a process called scaling, and roots are leveled in a process called planing. Plaque and tartar (the hardened form of plaque) are often under the gums as well and need to be removed, which will be done during the procedure as well. This allows the gums to reestablish their healthy connection with your teeth. Gum pockets may also need to be cleaned in order to get rid of bacteria that may be trapped there.

You Determine Your Own Success

During non-surgical periodontal therapy, your roots are thoroughly cleaned, bacteria is removed along with any plaque or tartar, and your mouth is ready to be healthy again. However, after your dentist has properly cleaned your mouth, you determine how successful the outcome of the procedure will be. If you don’t brush and floss, visit your dentist, and change your eating habits, the bacteria can come back in as little as a few weeks and the process of gum disease will begin all over again. You determine how effective your treatment will be. It’s vital to prevent the bacteria from coming back and colonizing in your mouth. Talk with your dentist about how to properly care for your mouth after treatment!

Consider non-surgical periodontal therapy if you’ve been diagnosed with periodontal disease. Talk with your dentist about the procedure and what to expect and well as healthy practices that you can adopt to enhance the outcome of this type of therapy. Remember, your gums and teeth should last for life—this treatment can get you ready to take control of your dental health and reestablish your healthy smile!

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1. Apples – An apple a day keeps more than just the doctor away. Apples are also good for your teeth. How can this be? After all, apples are mostly sugar, right? The fact is that apples are really good at increasing the amount of saliva produced. Saliva keeps the amount of bacteria in your mouth low. This is really true of most fresh fruits and vegetables, so if apples aren’t your favorite, you can eat more carrots, celery, or other crisp foods.

2. Xylitol Sweetened Gum – Xylitol is a natural sweetener and is superior to sugar and artificial sweeteners when it comes to oral health. Xylitol actually fights the bacteria that many other sweeteners promote.

3. Milk – When you hear milk is good for teeth, your first thought may be that calcium is the most important factor. While calcium is good for your teeth and bones, that’s not why milk makes the list. Milk acts as a base in the body, meaning that it raises the pH level in your mouth. Since bacteria in the mouth thrive on an acidic pH, drinking milk works against sugars and other acidic foods. In fact, one study showed that when milk is imbibed after a bowl of sweet cereal, teeth are helped to resist decay.

4. Unsweetened Tea – Green and black tea both fight bacteria that is commonly formed in the mouth. Unfortunately, adding sugar to the tea negates these benefits, so you may have to switch to unsweet depending on how you presently drink your tea. Tea not only delays that formation of plaque, but it also helps keep gums healthy.

5. Water – Adding more water to your diet can wash bacteria from the mouth, keeping your teeth cleaner between brushings, and raise pH levels, thus restricting plaque formation. Also, tap water often has higher levels of fluoride. Of course, bottled water may have fluoride removed, but you can fix that by the brand of toothpaste you choose. The fact is that fluoride is not the reason you need to add more water to your diet.

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