Reduction of Pocket Depth versus Gum Disease

Image courtesy of Gualberto107 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

If you’re fond of sweets, hate regular tooth brushing, flossing, and don’t go to your dentist regularly, then you’re in danger of developing gum disease. Turning a blind eye into careful cleaning of your teeth and gums can lead to your undoing. It is said that one of the most sensitive nerves in the body are located at the teeth, therefore, any pain in the teeth is felt more severely than other body pain. Only by proper flossing, brushing, and regular visits to the dentist can you ensure that you’re well-protected against gum disease.

Also called periodontal disease, gum disease involves not only the formation of tartar and plaque, but also of bacterial infection. Gum disease begins with a bacterial infection that festers in the jaw portion of the teeth. Parts which are usually affected include the gums, ligaments, and bone that keep teeth locked securely unto the jaw. During the early period of infection, the victim will feel no pain at all. Once the teeth and gums begin to hurt, however, that’s a sign that bacteria has burrowed deep within the dental cavity already. The victim should at this point visit his or her dentist in order to resolve the gum disease as soon as possible.

If detected early on, gum disease can be eradicated by non-surgical methods such as root planing and scaling. Both dental techniques are utilized as treatments to remove bacteria from the teeth and gums. Root planing targets deep into periodontal areas to chip off tartar and plaque. After the cleaning session, antimicrobial therapies and modulation of host follow naturally. The dentist would also recommend the patient to practice regular brushing and flossing of teeth in order to prevent future occurrence of gum disease.

Curing gum disease that has festered for a long period of time involves intensive dental surgery and succeeding therapy sessions. There are various techniques that can be utilized to resolve advanced gum disease. Some of them may involve only one session, while others require several sessions. One of these techniques involve reduction of pocket depth, and has shown to be very effective in clearing out gum disease and rehabilitating the damaged teeth and gums.

Reduction of pocket depth to alleviate gum disease has proven to be an effective surgical procedure which destroys the bacteria and resolves the pain. This surgical procedure targets pockets that have formed around the bone structure. These pockets are the home of bacteria which cause the teeth to weaken and eventually decay. The dentist peels back gum tissue in order to gain access to the pockets and clean them thoroughly. Once the bacteria have been removed, the dentist smoothens out the affected bone areas to prevent future bacterial growth. The reduction of deep pockets also allows the bone structure to regenerate and defend effectively against bacteria.

After reduction of pocket depth, the victim of gum disease should keep in mind that the bacteria can return anytime, so it’s important to maintain optimum dental health at all times.