Gum disease will negatively affect both your oral health and your healthy smile. Gum disease, or periodontal disease, is a common and frequent dental issue that adversely impacts the health of many Americans. Without proper professional treatment in a timely fashion, gum disease can result in significant bone deterioration in your jaw, leading to the loss of teeth and numerous other harmful effects.
A New Non-Surgical Option to Treat Gum Disease
In the early stages, periodontal disease can be simply treated quickly with a professional cleaning of your teeth. The treatment for more moderate or advanced gum disease becomes more complex and the damage is more difficult to reverse. The focus at this point of the treatment is to eliminate the source of the infection and therefore prevent further damage. The initial treatment, called deep cleaning or scaling and root planing, includes removing all tartar and calculus deposits, which is the source of the bacteria, from below your gumline. This method is effective, but it can also result in some residual deposits sometimes missed in the deep periodontal pockets because of the inability to see during the cleaning. This usually meant more aggressive treatment was next involving gum surgery. With the introduction of the perioscope, which features a tiny miniature digital video camera, it allows your dentist to successfully treat specific areas below your gumline without the discomfort of adding gum surgery. Now your dental team, by using the dental perioscope, can see dramatically magnified details of the tartar and calculus deposits below your gumline to treat the gum disease in a minimally invasive treatment.
The Perioscope Procedure
A very tiny, miniature camera is attached to a small fiber optic probe and gently placed below your gumline. The images are displayed in real time on a video monitor for your dental team to see. The dental perioscope will provide up to 45x magnification and reveal minuscule detail under the gums that, before this advanced technology, was easily missed. By using this device, your dentist is able to see under the gumline and achieve a thorough and successful cleaning, which accelerates healing and prevents any further damage.
Does a Periscope Hurt?
There is extraordinarily little, if any discomfort whatsoever during or following the use of a perioscope for your gum treatment. Your dental team will take the necessary measures to ensure your comfort, such as the use of a local anesthetic.
The Benefits of a Perioscope
Perioscope-assisted treatments can offer a variety of benefits including:
- Provides a minimally invasive approach to gum tissue treatment.
- There is truly little if any downtime through the healing process.
- Improve your periodontal health.
- Reduces or completely eliminates the need for gum surgery.
- Will not involve any incisions or sutures.
- Enhances and promotes the success of your gum disease treatment.
- Can be a very cost-effective alternative to a surgical approach.
Are You a Candidate for Perioscopy?
When it comes to treating your gum disease, visiting your dentist for professional care early will reduce your risk of any gum recession, tooth loss, and other concerns. If you have inflamed or bleeding gums, bad breath, or other indicators of gum disease, you may be a viable candidate for treatment with the use of a perioscope.
