Most gum diseases are chronic inflammatory diseases and do not cause pain when they occur. For this reason, it is possible for the disease to progress rapidly. In the early stages of dental diseases called gingivitis, there is pain and sensitivity due to swelling and bleeding of the gums. In this period, inflammation only disrupts the health of the gums. In more serious periodontal disease forms, gum recession, bone loss, weakening of the tooth roots and tooth loss may occur.

In the early stages, gum diseases occur with diseases such as bacterial plaque, tartar and bleeding gums. At this stage, due to conditions such as plaque and tartar that are not treated, oral hygiene deteriorates and inflammation progresses. In this direction, the most common gum diseases in infected tissues are gingivitis and periodontitis.

Also known as gum inflammation, gingivitis is a common gum disease that causes gum irritation, redness and swelling (inflammation). It usually occurs because tartar or bacterial plaque accumulates on the teeth. Gingivitis is a periodontal disease that can be treated without serious consequences, but untreated gingivitis can progress to periodontitis.

Periodontitis, which occurs when inflammation progresses from the gum surface to other tissues, is a serious gum infection that damages soft tissue and destroys the bone that supports your teeth. Periodontitis is a more advanced stage of periodontal diseases. Serious damage occurs to the alveolar bone along with the tissues that support the teeth. Periodontitis can cause gum recession, loosening of teeth, or tooth loss.

How Are Gum Diseases Treated?

Gum diseases are diseases that can be prevented and controlled to a large extent. Treatment options vary depending on adequate oral hygiene, timely diagnosis, and the right treatment approaches specific to the person. In this respect, pre- and post-treatment processes require the active participation of both the patient and the physician in the treatment.

The main purpose of treatment in gum diseases is to control the infection. The number and types of treatments vary depending on the degree of gum disease. Any treatment requires the patient to continue their daily care at home as recommended. The doctor may also recommend changing certain behaviors, such as quitting smoking and improving oral hygiene, as a way to improve the outcome of the treatment.

The treatment process for gum disease is carried out in three stages according to the preferred practices.

1. Professional dental cleaning

The first and most important stage of periodontal treatment is to eliminate the infection that causes inflammation in the dental tissue and to ensure that the patient can continue their oral hygiene at an adequate level. This stage, called the initial treatment, forms the basis of all treatments. The dentist provides a deep cleaning of the teeth and dental tissues by removing the tartar and bacterial plaque that accumulate on the tooth and the tissue surrounding it and cause the disease. In addition, at this stage, tooth decay that will cause bacteria to adhere to the surfaces is cleaned, old fillings are renewed or conditions that require root canal treatment are treated. In this way, the infection in the patient's teeth and dental tissues is completely eliminated and the desired level of hygiene in the mouth is achieved.

2. Determining diagnosis and treatment

After the first stage of dental cleaning and restoration procedures, the periodontist determines a treatment option according to the diagnosis appropriate for the patient's condition. Accordingly, treatments applied in the treatment of gum diseases are divided into two groups. These are;

• Non-Surgical Treatments: Tooth surface cleaning, root surface smoothing, curettage procedures, occlusal adjustments, drug therapies 
• Surgical Treatments: Gingivectomy - gingival surgery, flap operations, bone surgery and grafting, membrane applications, mucogingival surgery, soft tissue grafts, surgical applications for gingival aesthetics. 

In the event of an infection that is still untreatable in line with detailed dental cleaning, general dental and tissue improvements, the periodontist applies medication to the patient and ensures that the inflammation is eliminated. If the infection is advanced and causes serious damage to the tissue or bones, surgical treatments become necessary in these cases. While non-surgical treatments for gum diseases are directly curative treatments for the infection, surgical treatments evaluate the bone-gum and tooth relationship as a whole. In this respect, it is called corrective treatment.

3. Post-Treatment Follow-up Process

The third stage of periodontal treatment is the regular follow-up and check-ups after the surgical or non-surgical treatment determined according to the patient's condition. Since chronic inflammation is involved in the formation of gum diseases, the continuation of the healthy gums and tissues obtained after treatment is possible with the patient's correct care and regular check-ups. Otherwise, oral hygiene and dental care that are not paid enough attention after treatment will cause the gums and tissues to become infected again and the destruction process to begin, making the process more difficult. In gum diseases, control examinations are performed within 3-6 months depending on the patient's condition after treatment.

The Importance of Periodontics

As a result of gum diseases, even healthy teeth without any decay may be lost. Therefore, for a healthy mouth and strong teeth, the care of the connective tissues around the teeth, which play a key role in ensuring that the teeth are fully attached to the jawbone, is at least as important as the teeth themselves. Periodontal diseases that occur in the connective tissue and are not treated in a timely manner can cause tooth loss in the long term and the emergence of some systemic disorders in connection with it.

In addition, it is known that some serious disorders show themselves in the mouth before they are seen anywhere else in the body. Therefore, sometimes when examining a patient's mouth, the first person to detect symptoms of a general disease such as diabetes or blood disorders is a trained specialist periodontist. Due to this relationship with general health and its overlap with other medical disciplines, periodontics can rightfully be seen as a 'holistic' form of dentistry.

Eskişehir Dentist Dt. It was written by Özlem Ersöz about Gum and Gum Aesthetics with all its details for patient information purposes.