When you have gum disease, it can be a lengthy process to restore your teeth and gums to full health. Being consistent with each part of the process will help your gums recover and reduce the likelihood of recurrent gum disease. 

Address Your Oral Hygiene

Your dentist will want to know how often you brush and floss and what oral care products you use. The dentist may have specific products they want you to use. Starting with toothpaste, you should select one that isn't harsh on your gums. This means you should avoid any toothpaste with grit in it, which is usually designed to be a whitening agent. Even whitening toothpaste that is not gritty, may have ingredients that further irritate your gums.

Some people avoid flossing when they have gum disease, which makes the problem worse. If you avoid flossing because of pain, you can try to use OTC products designed to reduce tooth pain. Dab a little on the gums and continue flossing as normal. When using mouthwash or similar products, find alcohol-free options to minimize the chance of killing healthy bacteria and having dry mouth. Invest in oral rinses designed to be used before brushing, which can loosen debris before bushing, making your brushing more effective.

Deep Cleaning

A deep cleaning goes well beyond what happens in a typical, routine cleaning. The objective is to remove all the tartar build-up above and below the gum line. When you have gum disease there will be pockets at your gum line where bacteria and tartar can exist. The more these pockets are cleaned, they will become smaller until there is no pocket at the gum line. How you have a deep cleaning will depend on the approach your dentist uses. Traditionally, a single quadrant is done at a time. You may need a local anesthetic to make the process more comfortable. Special tools are used to scrape off the tartar. As an alternative, some dentists use an ultrasonic scaler. An ultrasonic scaler is a small, handheld device that vibrates extremely fast and simultaneously sprays water to keep the scaler cool. This tool breaks up tartar and makes it easier to do a deep cleaning. Your dentist may clean your entire mouth at one appointment if using the ultrasonic scaler since it's much faster.

Treatment Plan

Your deep cleaning is the first step in the fight against gum disease. However, you will need many more visits, depending on whether you only have a single quadrant cleaned at a time and the severity of gum disease. In some instances, it might take months of consistent visits to reverse gum disease. As your pockets become more shallow the redness and bleeding should disappear. Your dentist will tell you how often to come back for a simple cleaning, which can reduce the chance of recurrent gum disease when combined with good oral hygiene. Usually, you should come back for a cleaning every six months.

Treating gum disease is a lengthy process, but it will help reduce pain and stop your gums from bleeding. Knowing what to expect can make the process seem less daunting.

Reach out to a dentist to learn more about gum disease treatment.