Healing Periodontal Pocket At Different Stages

By Mattie Knight


When there is a depth of an abnormal size between teeth and gum, the dental term used to refer to that condition is periodontal pocket. The depth occurs at the point where gingival tissue makes contact with the tooth. Although not obvious, periodontitis patients are most likely to have pockets too. Healing periodontal pocket is an involving task and success is only dependent on much damage has been done already.

The causes of pockets in the mouth are many and diverse. One cause, which is also very common is break down in gum tissues causing a separation from teeth. Once the separation has occurred, space is created which is then filled with bacteria from the mouth. Bacteria multiply quickly and do more damage that leads to the space widening a lot over time. Healing process usually involves removing the bacteria physically and filling the space that is left behind.

The formation of pockets usually takes place around the teeth and if left unattended to, the problem only gets worse. The bacteria destroy the bone and tissue around the spaces so severely over time. When the loss of bone and tissue has occurred too much, there is pain which differs in the amount of degree. Teeth may eventually need to be removed because of this condition. Failure to get the problem solved may lead to loss of all teeth in the mouth eventually.

Treatment for periodontal pockets depends on how worse the situation is. During early stages, usually the gum alone is infected by bacteria, but the bone is intact. Such pockets measure between 4 to 5 millimeters in depth. Scaling and root planning can be used to eliminate any calculus that may be formed. In cases where the pockets are tender, the gums may need to be numbed to avoid pain during the process.

Once this process is finished, one should not feel any pain. Plaque may start forming immediately if proper oral care is not done. It is recommended to brush and floss on a daily basis to keep plaque out. It may take some time, but the gums will move closer to the teeth at the root and health will be restored.

In few cases, gums fail to shrink back into the correct position because they are swollen. That may require the swollen gums to be trimmed back by a dentist. This process is done using a tool called a gingivectomy. Failure to trim the swollen gums creates space for plaque to start accumulating again and soon or later the pockets recur.

Smoothening has to be done to damaged bone to allow for easy reattachment of gum tissue to healthy bone. In moderate stages of the problem, the size of the pockets is usually between 5-7 millimeters. It is inefficient to use scaling and root planning in such cases. That leaves flap surgery the only option.

Flap surgery creates space and an opening through which access can be gained to the depth for cleaning the deposit. Once the surgery is done, gum tissue never reconnects to the tooth easily. This leaves a gap that makes the only way to prevent a repetition of the problem making regular visits to a hygienist to keep cleaning the plaque out. Recovery in cases where the pockets are in an advanced stage is hard and usually the tooth may have to be removed.




About the Author:



ليست هناك تعليقات:

إرسال تعليق

Do you see in this solution to what you're looking for chose ???