Can you get the upper hand against bacteria once
you’re diagnosed with periodontal gum disease? The
answer is yes, if you begin early enough and are
diligent. More advanced periodontal gum disease may
still be reversed, but it will take some special
cleaning provided by your dentist to give you a
fighting chance.
Adopting a strenuous daily oral
hygiene routine now can go a long way to reversing
periodontal gum disease.
1. Brush thoroughly when you get up in the
morning and before you go to bed each night.
Brushing or at least rinsing with water after meals
and snacks will also help remove food and bacteria
trapped between teeth, helping in reversing
periodontitis.
2. Rinse your mouth with a good antibacterial
mouthwash for at least a full thirty seconds twice
each day. This will help reach bacteria trapped in
pockets below your gum line, aiding in reversing
periodontal gum disease.
3. Floss every single day. Pay special attention
to flossing just below the gum line for reversing
periodontal gum disease.
4. Even better than flossing or rinsing is the
use of one of the powerful oral irrigators on the
market, which blast food particles out from between
your teeth and clean the gumline. High-end
irrigators can be purchased with special tips to
reach deeply into any pre-existing pockets and clean
them out. These special tips are necessary for
effective cleaning if your periodontitis has already
established itself.
While a conscientious oral hygiene routine can go
a long way in aiding the reversal of periodontal gum
disease, sometimes the infection is too far
advanced, and it is necessary to get professional
help.
If the problem is becoming severe, your dentist
may see fit to perform a periodontal cleaning. If
x-rays show deep pockets of bacteria surrounding any
of your teeth below the gum line, your dentist can
choose from special procedures known as debridement,
scaling or root planing to go in and scrape the
bacteria out and make the tooth less hospitable to
germs. He may also order a prescription
antibacterial mouth wash to be used daily that will
also help in reversing periodontal gum disease.
If more is required, he may perform actual
periodontal surgery, which involves lifting the
flaps of the gum to enable deep cleaning and
suturing them back in place. After the procedure,
you will have several appointments to check on the
success of the cleaning. Still, there's good news
for patients that have to suffer through surgery --
a 2001 study found that roughly 50% of patients with
moderate to severe periodontal disease showed
measurable improvement from surgery, while those
trying non-surgical options enjoyed less success.
The important thing is to seek help as soon as
you notice any signs of trouble with your gums. The
good news is, periodontal gum disease can be
reversed if it's caught early enough.
