How Long Can You Keep Your Teeth With Periodontal Disease?
How long can you keep your teeth with periodontal disease?
Finding out you have periodontal disease can be scary. After all, periodontal disease is the leading cause of tooth loss, and nobody wants to lose their natural teeth. The first question many patients ask is, how long can you keep your teeth with periodontal disease? The answer depends on several factors, but there is hope, and much of the outcome is within your control. Read below for tips on how to keep your teeth with periodontal disease.
How Long Can You Keep Your Teeth With Periodontal Disease?
With the proper treatment, many periodontal disease patients keep their teeth for the rest of their lives. But whether you can save your teeth depends on three factors:
• The severity of your existing periodontal disease
• Whether you begin practicing proper periodontal disease self-care
• Whether you seek out professional periodontal treatment and maintenance
Severity of your Periodontal Disease
Periodontal disease worsens over time if left untreated. If we catch the infection early, there is an excellent chance that we will be able to save your teeth. In most cases, the periodontal disease can be stopped and even reversed. Over the years, our periodontists have treated thousands of patients with periodontal disease and have a long track record of success in saving our patient’s natural teeth.
The prognosis is worse for severe cases of gum disease where the disease has been left untreated for many years or decades. In certain instances, the periodontal disease has progressed too far, and we cannot save the teeth. However, the good news is that there are several steps you can take right now that can stop the progression of periodontal disease and improve your chances of keeping your natural teeth.
Periodontal disease self-care
All successful periodontal treatment requires diligent periodontal disease self-care. While it may seem mundane, thorough daily brushing and flossing routines yield excellent results. That’s because periodontal disease thrives in the areas of your mouth that contain high amounts of bacteria. By brushing and flossing thoroughly, you clean the affected area and eliminate the conditions that allow bacteria to damage your gum tissue and underlying bone.
Professional periodontal maintenance and gum disease surgery
While periodontal disease self-care is essential in the fight against periodontal disease, brushing and flossing alone won’t reverse gum disease. To stop the progression of the disease, professional periodontal disease treatment is required.
Several revolutionary advancements have significantly reduced the pain and recovery time associated with periodontal disease surgery. For example, our revolutionary LANAP laser procedure can treat gum disease without cutting or sewing the gum tissue. LANAP laser treatment provides effective periodontal disease intervention, allowing our patients to return to their daily lives in record time.
Following periodontal disease surgery or laser treatment, patients should also have regular periodontal maintenance, often called periodontal cleanings. Periodontal cleanings are necessary because they allow us to clean below the gumline in areas that brushing and flossing alone can’t reach. Regular cleanings also allow us to check on the progression of your periodontal disease and treat areas that may need extra attention.
With periodontal disease self-care, treatment, and maintenance, you should be able to enjoy your teeth for many years to come.
Keep your teeth for the rest of your life
Returning to the original question, reversing your periodontal disease and keeping your teeth for the rest of your life is possible. We can treat your periodontal disease and help get you back on track to achieving optimal oral health. Contact us today, and let’s start working together to try and save your teeth.