​Specialist in Periodontology

Periodontal Disease Definition

Periodontal refers generally to the tissues surrounding and supporting teeth. It can be said that periodontal is the foundation of teeth. "Periodontal" is composed of four tissues:

1. Gums (i.e. gums)

2. Periodontal ligament (the fiber that connects the tooth root to the alveolar bone)

3. Alveolar bone (the bone of the tooth)

4. Cementum (calcified tissue covering the surface of the tooth root, its function is to attach the periodontal ligament to the tooth root)

Periodontal disease is an inflammation that affects the above soft and hard tissues. Therefore, if there is a problem in one of the above four tissues, it is most likely to be periodontal disease.

Periodontal disease treatment methods:

Surgical Treatment

1. Gum Flap Surgery

A periodontal specialist will lift up the gum tissue to remove stubborn tartar that cannot be removed by deep cleaning (usually located at the foot of the tooth).

2. Alveolar Bone Regeneration Surgery

This surgery may be necessary if the alveolar bone (i.e. tooth bone) is severely missing. The doctor will open up the gum and remove bacteria, and fill in the areas of bone loss with natural or bone meal (synthetic bone).

3. Gum Graft Surgery

The dentist will first harvest gum tissue from the patient's upper jaw or other locations and cover the exposed roots of one or more teeth due to periodontal disease. After the exposed tooth roots are repaired, gum sensitivity can be effectively reduced, the tooth roots can be protected from further erosion, and further gum recession and bone loss can be prevented.

Non-surgical Treatment

1. Root Scaling

Special dental tools are used to remove plaque and calculus from the teeth and root surfaces, allowing the periodontal tissue and gums to heal again, making periodontal pockets disappear. After treatment is completed, the gums will return to a healthy condition and reattach to clean tooth surfaces.

The actual treatment plan for patients with periodontal disease requires the clinical judgment of a periodontal specialist.