When we speak of gingivitis, it is the inflammation of the gums surrounding the teeth that affects the health of the periodontium, those tissues that surround the teeth and include the gums, soft tissues, and bone. It describes the events that begin with bacterial growth in the mouth and may end, if not properly treated, with tooth loss due to destruction of the tissue that surrounds your teeth.
There are a lot of treatments for gum disease depending on the stage of disease. It can also depend on how a person may have responded to earlier treatments, and his overall health. These treatments range from nonsurgical therapies that control bacterial growth to surgery to restore supportive tissues.
For non-surgical treatments, your dentist or dental hygienist can perform professional dental cleaning. During a typical checkup, plaque and tartar, plaque that builds up and hardens on the tooth surface and can only be removed with professional cleaning, will be removed from above and below the gum line of all your teeth. Scaling and root planning can also be performed on your mouth and teeth. It is a deep-cleaning, nonsurgical procedure, done under a local anesthetic. Plaque and tartar from above and below the gum line are scraped away (scaling) and rough spots on the tooth root are made smooth (planning). Smoothing all the rough spots removes bacteria and provides a clean surface for the gums to reattach to the teeth. Scaling and root planing is done if your dentist or dental hygienist determines that you have plaque and calculus (hardened plaque, also called tartar) under the gums that needs to be removed.
Flap surgery or pocket reduction surgery can be used to treat gingivitis. The gums are lifted back and the tarter will be removed during this procedure. In some cases, irregular surfaces of the damaged bone are then smoothed to limit areas where the disease-causing bacteria can hide. Bone grafts using fragments of your own bone, synthetic bone, or donated bone can be used to replace bone destroyed by gum disease. Soft tissue grafts reinforces thin gums or fills in places where gums have receded. Guided tissue regeneration is performed when the bone supporting your teeth has been destroyed. This procedure stimulates bone and gum tissue growth.
Prompt treatment can usually reverse the symptoms of gingivitis and prevent its progression to a more serious gum disease and tooth loss. Effective treatment requires professional care followed by heightened oral hygiene at home.