When I was young, my mom and dad used to remind me to brush my teeth regularly. Stubborn as I am, I ignore my parents’ advice. As a result, I am now suffering periodontitis. This is the inflammation of the tissues in my gums. I also begin to lose my teeth one by one which very embarrassing especially when I am with friends. As a result, I prefer to go home after school and lock myself in my room. My parents were worried about my situation. Hence, they decided to schedule a dental check up.
I got scared when I entered the dentist clinic, but my parents held both my hands and supported me all the way. The doctor asked me to open my mouth wide enough for him to see the affected area. After a few minutes, he gave his diagnosis. There I learned a lot of things about periodontal disease and how its treatments.
The dentist said that periodontal disease starts when I ignore brushing my teeth. Every time I forget to brush my teeth, plaque builds up in my mouth. Gum disease is aggravated everytime I eat spicy and sweet foods. Moreover, vitamin C deficiency can also cause gum diseases. This is due to weak immune system.
He also said that aside from avoiding spicy and sweet foods, I should refrain from chewing or smoking cigarettes. Cigarettes can only weaken my immune system and worsen my gum disease. Moreover, smoking is bad for my health. He said if I leave my gum disease untreated, it may lead to more serious health problems such as heart disease, diabetes and stroke.
The most exciting part was when the dentist discussed on periodontal disease treatment. He said that in order for my gum disease to be treated I should undergo either the surgical or non-surgical method. The surgical way is to remove the affected tissues and reposition the alveolar bones. This can be one of the most disturbing experience gum disease patients can ever experience. However, before the dentist can perform surgery he has to do thorough examination. In addition, after the treatment patients would experience post surgery discomfort. However, the dentist can give pain reliever which can be bought over the counter.
Non-surgical treatments are scaling and root planing. These are the conventional way of treating periodontal disease. These two are also known as deep cleaning. In addition, scaling and root planing are initial procedure to surgery.
