How To Treat Periodontitis At Home

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with periodontal disease and are concerned about bad breath, receding gums and tooth loss you may be wondering how you can treat periodontitis at home.

Periodontal disease (or gum disease as many people refer to it) is most commonly the result of continued poor oral hygiene, leading to an overgrowth of harmful bacteria in the mouth. If left untreated, the teeth can become loose, wobbly and at risk of falling out.

Whilst getting professional advice from a dental clinic is always encouraged the good news is that periodontitis can be prevented from progressing further. Effective treatment, the majority of which can be carried out at home can help cure periodontitis at home.

This post explains the cause of advanced periodontal diseases and how to stop periodontitis at home.

What are Periodontal Diseases?

Periodontal diseases, which include gingivitis and periodontitis are inflammatory conditions triggered by a buildup of plaque bacteria in the mouth. 

Gingivitis, the predecessor to periodontitis, is a reversible condition characterized by red, swollen and inflamed gums. When left untreated it progresses to the advanced condition which sadly cannot be reversed. The positive news is that it can be prevented from progressing further. 

Signs and Symptoms of Periodontitis

Advanced periodontal disease is characterized by

• Red, swollen and inflamed gums
• Gums that bleed when brushed or flossed
• Persistent bad breath (Halitosis)
• Loose, wobbly teeth or teeth that have fallen
• Pus between your teeth and gums
• Painful chewing
• New spaces developing between your teeth
• Gum recession

Why Treat Periodontitis?

Left untreated the plaque bacteria builds up along the gum line and irritates the gums. The gum tissue becomes swollen gum tissue that peels away from the teeth creating periodontal pockets that harbor bacteria and food debris. It’s difficult to remove bacteria from within the pockets making it difficult to fix gum disease at home.

Bacteria trapped in the pockets can irritate and cause damage to the structures under the gum that hold your teeth securely in place.

In an attempt to eliminate the bacteria your immune system accidentally destroys the bone around the tooth socket and damages the ligaments which hold the tooth roots to the bone.

Bone loss, ligament damage and inflamed gums mean that the teeth are no longer held securely in place resulting in loose wobbly teeth, which are at risk of falling out.

How To Treat Periodontitis At Home

Daily Self-Performed Care at home includes developing and maintaining good oral hygiene in addition to some lifestyle changes are the most effective way to treat periodontitis.

These treatments aim to disrupt the plaque bacteria to allow the gums to heal, recover and reattach to the teeth. In addition, the inflammatory process is stopped so the destruction of bone is also prevented from progressing. 

Developing oral hygiene that is first class is the most effective way to disturb the sticky plaque daily. The following steps can be taken each day to disturb the bacteria.

Brush the Teeth Twice a Day

Using the correct technique is essential to effectively disrupt the plaque. Here is the best way to do it. 

• Brush all surfaces of the teeth for 2 minutes
• Use a small toothbrush with soft bristles
• It can be easier and more effective to use an electric toothbrush as opposed to a manual brush
• To help protect your teeth from cavities choose a toothpaste containing Fluoride
• Refrain from using water or mouthwash to rinse the mouth after brushing with fluoride toothpaste

Clean the Interdental Spaces

To fix gum disease at home cleaning between the teeth and under the gumline daily is very important. You can use 

• a single tufted toothbrush
• interdental brushes
• floss

Some people find using a combination of these tools is the best way to remove plaque from between the teeth. 

Lifestyle Choices

Making some small changes to your lifestyle can have a positive effect on reversing periodontal disease. Some of these changes are 

• Smoking cessation
• Controlling diabetes
• Reducing the amount and frequency of sugary drinks and snacks
• Avoiding carbohydrate snacks and fruit juices
• Drinking water
• Eating a diet full of fresh fruit and vegetables
• Reducing stress

Natural Remedies for Gum Disease – Do They Work?

Many people swear by natural remedies, but if they worked as a way of treating gum disease at home dentists would recommend them. The most effective way to cure gum disease is by disrupting the plaque bacteria each day. This can only be done with manual brushing and cleaning deep within the pockets and the interdental spaces. Home remedies such as oil pulling cannot do this.

When to Visit the Dentist

One of the compilations in the treatment of periodontitis is bacteria trapped in deep pockets and on the tooth roots which can’t be reached with a toothbrush. 

Although our revolutionary gum pocket brush cleans along the gum line and helps disrupt bacteria trapped within gum pockets.

As a consequence, in order to fix gum disease at home, it may be essential to seek some gum health treatments and guidance from dental experts. 

Dental experts will be able to 

• Provide treatments which help to disrupt bacteria that are hiding below the gum line and remove tartar (hardened plaque) that makes it harder to keep the gums clean 
• Advise you of any dental issues such as wonky teeth, dental appliances or old fillings that are preventing you from keeping the gums free of plaque
• Give you personalized advice on keeping the gums clean

Gum health treatments include 

• Scaling – removal of plaque and tartar from the gum line
• Root debridement  – removing plaque and tartar from the tooth roots
• Flap surgery – a surgical procedure to clean the tooth roots
• Bone and soft tissue grafts – if there has been significant bone loss or gum recession these surgical procedures may be offered in dental implants that are required to replace missing teeth.

Takeaway

Periodontitis is an advanced periodontal disease, which is most effectively treated at home by modifying some lifestyle choices and developing good oral hygiene that includes brushing the teeth and cleaning the interdental spaces using the correct techniques and tools.

To help you reverse gum disease at home we designed our revolutionary gum pocket brush which has been specially designed to disrupt bacteria within periodontal pockets – one of the key elements in the fight against gum disease.

The dental experts here at the gum disease guide can give you more detailed advice on the correct techniques to effectively treat periodontitis at home you can find out more in our free guide to beating gum disease at home.