Treatments for gum disease

Gum disease may play a part in causing bad breath. However, we haven't looked at the research on whether treating gum disease helps improve people's breath. So we can't be sure it works. But gum disease can damage your teeth, so your dentist will probably recommend treatment anyway.

If you have gum disease, your dentist may do some of the things below to treat it:[1]

Scaling. The dentist or hygienist scrapes off the plaque, tartar (hardened plaque) and other deposits that are causing the infection from your teeth. It takes 15 to 30 minutes
Scaling below the gum and root planing. These are more complicated treatments that involve removing deposits from the parts of your teeth that are covered by the gums. You'll have an injection of local anaesthetic in your gum to numb the area. The treatment lasts about an hour
Flap surgery. You may need this if scaling, root planing and medication don't get rid of the infection. A periodontist (a dentist who specialises in gum disease) folds your gums back from your teeth, removes the deposits, then stitches the gums back in place. It's done under local anaesthetic. The stitches either dissolve on their own or have to be removed seven to ten days later.

There are also other kinds of surgery that can be used for gum disease. These include:

Replacing lost gum tissue or bone. This is called grafting
Guided tissue regeneration. This is a treatment that stimulates the growth of new gum and bone
Bone surgery to reshape the bone around the tooth. This makes it harder for bacteria to collect and grow there.

Some medicines can be used to treat gum disease. They're normally used after scaling and root planing. You may have:

A mouthwash containing a chemical called chlorhexidine. It helps to kill bacteria and reduce the build up of plaque
A small piece of antiseptic placed in the pockets where your gums have pulled away from your teeth
An antibiotic gel or tiny balls of an antibiotic placed in the pockets between your gums and your teeth
A low dose of an antibiotic called doxycycline (brand names are Vibramycin and Vibramycin-D).

References

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Periodontal (gum) disease: causes, symptoms and treatments. September 2006. Available at http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/HealthInformation/DiseasesAndConditions (accessed on 23 August 2007).

Glossary

bacteria: Bacteria are tiny organisms. There are lots of different types. Some are harmful and can cause disease. But some bacteria live in your body without causing any harm.
infection: You get an infection when an , such as a or , gets into a part of your body where it shouldn't be. These organisms are so tiny that you can't see them without a microscope. An infection in your nose and airways causes the common cold. An infection in your skin can cause rashes such as athlete's foot.
local anaesthetic: Local anaesthetic is a painkiller for one area of the body. You usually get it as an injection. It makes that area numb. An example is the lidocaine you may get when your dentist fills a cavity.
antiseptic: An agent or substance used to kill or inhibit the growth of harmful germs on the skin.
antibiotics: These medicines are used to help the fight infection. There are a number of different types of antibiotics that work in different ways to get rid of bacteria, parasites and other infectious agents. Antibiotics do not work against viruses.

This information does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.