Treating Periodontal Disease
Research papers on treating periodontal disease cover diagnosing, treating and caring for patients with the medical disease. Paper Masters can help you with any dental project that you need by custom writing research according to your specific topic.
Once it has been determined that someone has periodontal disease, treatment is begun to try to stop and control the progress of the disease, leave the periodontal tissues in a state that is easy to maintain, and, if possible, restore the supporting structures which include bone, gum tissue, and ligaments.Determining periodontal disease is done through the following:
- Studying the patient's medical history
- Inspecting the gum areas
- Testing tooth movement
- Studying X-rays
- Using a procedure called Periodontal Screening and Recording (PSR)
A relatively new saliva test has also been developed which can detect the presence of periodontal disease in as fast as 15 minutes. It is hoped that new procedures like this will help doctors better determine the nature of the infection, how it is affecting the patient's body and measure treatment success.
Three Phases of Treatment
There are three phases of treatment: initial cleaning, scaling, and curettage; surgery (if needed); and maintenance. Surgery is used when there are still deep pockets underneath the gum after extensive cleaning has taken place. The goal is to reduce these pockets. Maintenance begins once the mouth has been returned to a relatively healthy state. The patient should schedule regular cleaning sessions lasting 45 minutes to one hour every three months. A dental hygienist, periodontist, or general dentist may do the cleanings. In addition, the patient must practice home care. Antibiotics are given to individuals prior to treatment if they have a mitral valve prolapse or a history or rheumatic heart disease in order to prevent the possibility of bacterial endocarditis which can cause death.
The Effectiveness of Treatment
Studies concerning the effectiveness of active treatment and maintenance vary, however some dentists have reported a 85% success rate when professional treatment and good home care are combined. Treatment seems to help nonsmokers more than smokers and one study found that treatment in people with diabetes type II helped improve blood sugar levels. However, it is unknown whether treatment will help reduce other health risks like heart attack and stroke.