Please see the gum disease page for information on periodontal disease.

How is Periodontal Disease Treated?

Treatment methods depend upon the type of disease and how far the condition has progressed.

The first step usually is a thorough cleaning that includes scaling to remove plaque and tartar deposits, often with irrigation of the gum spaces to eliminate bacteria.  The tooth roots also may be planed to smooth the root surface, allowing the gum tissue to heal and reattach to the tooth.  The irrigation of gum pockets is done with antibacterial solutions, generally iodine or chlorhexidine gluconate.  Although it is not a required part of basic treatment, it has shown to dramatically improve the healing of the gums, both in terms of time and quality of the final result.

Iodine Irrigation

At Glendale Dental Arts, we have been using iodine as our primary choice of irrigant for nearly 6 years.  Our choice is based on lecture presentations and research publications by Jørgen Slots, DDS, DMD, PhD, MS, MBA.  Dr. Slots is the Professor and Chairperson of Periodontology, Head of the Oral Microbiology Testing Laboratory, and the Associate Dean for Research at the USC School of Dentistry.

To us, he is even more than that.  He is our absolute mentor and savior when it comes to understanding and treating gum disease.  He has revolutionized gum treatment and has given us the tools by which we have helped hundreds, nearing thousands, of people to live healthier lives without periodontal disease, and without surgery!

In the February 2000 (Vol. 21, No. 2) issue of Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry, Dr. Slots published his findings based on years of research.  We have used those findings as the basis for our customized Antibacterial Periodontal Therapy, or APT.  The results have been astonishing.  The recovery and reattachment of gum tissues we have seen in the past 3 years has surpassed previous results by leaps and bounds.  We've stopped periodontal disease dead in its tracks.  And we do it every day.

What is APT?

APT, or Antibacterial Periodontal Therapy, is a customized series of specific treatments aimed at stopping periodontal disease by eliminating the primary cause, bacteria, and keeping it away.  APT is used to treat advanced periodontitis cases in an attempt to avoid surgery.

APT

• usually takes 5 appointments spread over 2 months.

  • 4 appointments are short, about 20 minutes.

  • 1 appointment is long, about 2 hours.

• is NON-surgical.

• requires the use of local anesthetic during the main appointment.

• is painless (you're numb) and has minimal discomfort afterwards.

• has no downtime.  You're back to normal that evening.

• usually requires the use of systemic antibiotics (pills).

• requires the use of local antibiotics (iodine, chlorhexidine gluconate, sodium hypochlorite).

• requires a little bit of homework, about 5-10 minutes a day.

APT has proven to be more effective than standard scaling and root planing because the standard treatment does not address the issue of bacteria on a microbiological level.  More information on APT will be provided to you during your examination appointment in the event that you are diagnosed with periodontal disease.

What About Mild Cases of Periodontal Disease?

Some people are diagnosed with mild stages or early stages of periodontal disease and don't need the full APT treatment.  In that case we offer a "scaled-down" version of APT, called Mini-APT, customized to treat the specific condition.

Mini-APT can take anywhere from 1 to 3 appointments depending on the severity of the disease.  It will not require systemic antibiotics (pills), but it will still require the use of local antibiotics / irrigants for the gums, and a prescription antibacterial mouthwash.