Can periodontitis be cured?
In short
Yes, periodontitis can be treated: with the right therapy it is possible to stop it progressing and keep your natural teeth. However, bone that has already been lost does not grow back on its own and, since it is a chronic disease, careful oral hygiene and regular check-ups are needed to stop the inflammation from flaring up again.
Treating periodontitis means, above all, clearing the infection from the gum pockets and bringing the tissues back to a stable condition. The treatment plan is decided after the examination, depending on how advanced the disease is.
How treatment works
Generally speaking, treatment follows a few stages:
- Examination and diagnosis: periodontal probing and, if needed, X-rays to measure the pockets and the bone loss.
- Non-surgical treatment: a deep clean below the gum, known as root planing, which removes plaque and tartar from the roots, usually under local anaesthetic.
- Re-assessment: after a few weeks we check how the gums have responded.
- Further procedures if needed: in more advanced cases surgical or regenerative treatment may be required, assessed case by case.
You will find more details on each stage on our page about periodontitis treatment.
Can periodontitis be stopped?
Yes, and that is precisely the main goal of treatment. Once the inflammation is under control, the gums stop bleeding, the pockets tend to shrink and the teeth can remain stable over time.
The sooner it is treated, the more tissue can be saved. In very advanced forms, with teeth that are already loose, some teeth may not be salvageable: this is something your dentist will assess after the examination.
Lifestyle matters too: smoking reduces how well the gums respond to treatment, and stopping helps it work.
Can pyorrhoea be cured?
Pyorrhoea is the old popular name for periodontitis. Rather than a cure once and for all, it is more accurate to talk about a disease kept under control: the predisposition remains, and if plaque and tartar build up again the inflammation can return.
That is why, after treatment, maintenance is essential:
- professional dental hygiene sessions more often than usual, often every 3-4 months;
- cleaning between the teeth every day with floss or interdental brushes;
- regular checks of the depth of the gum pockets.
If you would like to read more about the symptoms and the links with general health, our blog has an article dedicated to periodontitis and its warning signs.
If you have been diagnosed with periodontitis or are worried you may have it, an assessment visit at our clinic in Via Cesare Pavese 135, Rome EUR, will show how far the disease has progressed and which treatment is best for you.
