If you have been diagnosed with gum disease, there are a number of treatment options available to you depending on the severity of your diagnosis and the extent of damage that it may have caused. Mild cases of gum disease can usually be treated by practicing and maintaining good oral hygiene, and the effects of gingivitis are usually reversible. You can get your teeth professionally cleaned by your dentist, where they will thoroughly clean and remove any hardened plaque that has formed. Your dentist may perform scaling and ‘root planing’, which is deep cleaning done under a local anaesthetic to remove plaque and tartar from above and below your gum line. These will help to reduce the swelling and the depth of gum pockets that may have formed, and to heal any infection.
The dentist will also be able to give you advice on how to clean your teeth properly at home, in order to prevent a build-up gum disease or a build-up of plaque again in the future.
If your ailment is more serious, you will need more extensive treatment. This could involve surgery to restore supporting tissues, to fix the alignment of your teeth, or to remove any teeth that are irreparable.
The Teeth and Skin Service Line at the Aga Khan University and Hospital, Karachi can provide you multidisciplinary medical care under one roof.