Before the procedures, your hygienist will use a numbing agent on the gums and tooth roots. The local anesthesia is quick-acting and will help you feel numb during the treatment. For patients who have a low pain threshold, scaling or planing may cause slight discomfort.

After the therapy session, the treated area may continue to feel numb for an hour or two. You may start to feel some discomfort or slight tenderness once the anesthesia wears off. In most cases, these unpleasant sensations go away after a day or two.

Periodontal therapy is a type of conservative or non-surgical treatment for gum disease. Its goal is to control and manage periodontal diseases without the need for surgery. Ultimately, it helps restore optimal gum health, which, in turn, helps keep tooth loss at bay.

Periodontal therapy is often the first line of treatment for slight periodontitis. It’s at this stage of gum disease wherein a patient has at least one tooth with 3 mm of gum attachment loss. About 9% of people with periodontal disease are at this stage.

Periodontal therapy can also help with gingivitis. Gingivitis is different from periodontitis, as it’s only an inflammation of the gums. However, untreated gingivitis can progress into periodontal disease.

Periodontal diseases are prolonged infections of the gums that will gradually destroy the support structure of your natural teeth. These dental diseases can affect one or more of the periodontal tissues, including the alveolar bone, periodontal ligament, cementum and gingiva.

Periodontal diseases can be divided into two categories: gingivitis and periodontitis. While gingivitis is the milder form of the two categories, it can progress and develop into periodontitis.

Periodontal diseases are especially dangerous as they can develop without any major pain or obvious symptoms. 80 percent of Americans suffer from a periodontal disease by the time he or she turns 45. Four out of five patients won’t even know that they are affected by this dental issue. To reduce the risk of developing periodontal issues in the first place, it is crucial to adhere to a proper dental care routine at home while seeing your dentist regularly for cleanings and exams.

Treatment becomes necessary when periodontal diseases affect the health of your gums or jawbone, which make up the structure and support system of your teeth. While unhealthy gums might only pose an aesthetic issue at first, it can lead to receding, swollen and red gums once the disease progresses. In later stages of the condition, the supporting bone may start to deteriorate, and your teeth will shift, become loose or, in the most severe cases, fall out.

Periodontal diseases will not only alter your smile, but they can also affect your ability to speak and chew. To avoid the loss of teeth, it is important that any condition is being treated as early as possible.