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Office Hours Monday 10 am - 6 pm Tuesday 12 pm - 7 pm Wednesday 10 am - 6 pm Thursday 12 pm - 7 pm Saturday 9 am - 4 pm Contact Us Bristol Dental Clinic 512 Bristol Road West, Suite 11B Mississauga, Ontario L5R 3Z1 Phone: 905 712 3409 Fax: 905 712 9917 |
![]() Periodontal Therapy Periodontal Therapy is the treatment of periodontal diseases. Periodontal diseases are chronic bacterial infections that slowly attack and destroy the gums and supporting bone that hold your teeth in place. Untreated, periodontal disease can result in tooth loss. In the first stage of the disease (gingivitis), gums are red, swollen and bleed easily but with proper home care and professional treatment, gingivitis is reversible. Untreated gingivitis can lead to periodontal disease. Plaque spreads into the gum line and causes infection and eventually, the gum tissue and supporting bone is broken down and destroyed. Teeth become loose or are lost. Unfortunately, gingivitis and periodontitis are fairly common. Approximately 50 percent of adults have gingivitis and 30 percent have periodontitis. Periodontal disease is mainly caused by bacterial plaque. Plaque is the sticky, colourless substance that forms on your teeth. Other factors that also affect gum health include:
Non-surgical Periodontal therapy or treatment usually consists of scaling and root planing. Scaling consists of the dentist or, more likely, dental hygienist, scaling the teeth with an instrument to remove any calculus (plaque / tartar) from the tooth and below the gumline.
After periodontal scaling, all rough surfaces of the root are smoothed to remove toxins and so that the gun can heal and reattach to the tooth. This is called root planing. In some cases, systemic antibiotics will be prescribed. In other cases, scaling and root planning are followed by adjunctive therapy such as local delivery antimicrobals and host modulation (drugs that help your body eliminate infection or decrease its effects). Many patients will require ongoing maintenance therapy to sustain optimal oral health.
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