How is periodontitis treated? Medications, mouthwash and surgery?

Complete treatment is usually no longer possible at a higher stage, it is only possible to delay the necessary tooth loss. Most often, early detection of periodontitis is important to minimize the further spread of inflammation and infection.

Mouth rinses are also recommended for oral rinsing. The most important thing, however, is to remove dental plaque and stone, either by a hygienist or at home. In severe conditions, antibiotics or antifungals are administered.

The administration depends on the type of infection in the affected area which is determined on the basis of checking the bacteria culture. It is also necessary to replace ordinary toothpaste with specialized toothpaste.

Life-long prevention is important, so that the infection does not spread to other parts of the teeth and gums and, ultimately, and to prevent tooth loss. Special creams and mouthwash are sometimes applied on the affected areas.

It is important to regularly brush your teeth with interdental brushes to eliminate the risk of further infection. In the case of serious infections, surgical treatment is also possible by removing the inflamed areas. Later on, it is also possible to replace the lost bone and teeth as part of prosthetic treatment.

Some of the surgical methods are:

• gingivectomy, in which a part of the gums is cut away
• gingivoplasty, the process by which the gingiva are reshaped to correct deformities
• submental flap reconstruction, in which larger flaps of the mucosa are moved
• mucosal transplantation, the process by which larger ares of damaged mucosa are replaced
• root treatment is a procedure in which parts of roots are exposed or removed
• osteoplasty, in case bone repair or grafting is needed

The treatment should include informing the public about poor hygiene. A dental hygiene expert can clean dental plaque using ultrasound and other mechanical aids.

Mechanical removal is followed by chemical treatment. For example, chlorhexidine is used as a disinfectant, but only temporarily. There are also some gels for gum massage, special toothpaste we've mentioned above, and mouthwash or rinses.