Once you have been diagnosed with periodontitis, your dentist will decide if you can be treated surgically, non-surgically or a combination of both. Treatment aims are to control infection, prevent disease progression and return to good oral health. Non-surgical treatment involves scaling and root planing. Surgical treatment includes gum surgery, bone or tissue grafts to replace or encourage new growth of bone or gum tissue destroyed by periodontitis.
The effects of periodontal disease are not limited to the mouth. Researchers have found that people with periodontal disease are almost twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery disease as those without periodontal disease.
Additional studies point to a relationship between periodontal disease and stroke. Periodontal disease can exacerbate existing cardiac conditions.
Pregnant women with periodontal disease are seven times more likely to have pre-term deliveries and babies who are of low birth weight. Pregnant women should have a periodontal evaluation.
