What happens if I do not treat gum disease?

Written in association with: Dr Crystal Marruganti
Published:
Edited by: Conor Lynch

In this article below, Dr Crystal Marruganti, a highly proficient and experienced London-based dentist, provides us with an all-you-need-to-know guide on gum disease, including the symptoms and treatment options. 

What is gum disease?

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease affecting the gums that is mainly caused by plaque accumulation. It leads to receding gums, periodontal pockets, and bone resorption around the teeth.

 

What are the symptoms of gum disease?

The symptoms of gum disease are receding and bleeding gums, redness, swelling, as well as loose teeth.

 

What is the treatment for periodontitis?

The first line of treatment for periodontitis is commonly called deep cleaning and it consists of the removal of plaque and calculus below the gum with manual and mechanical instruments.This procedure is usually done in multiple sessions under local anaesthesia. The re-assessment of the deep cleaning is done three months after the end of the treatment.

 

What happens after the treatment for gum disease?

At re-assessment, the efficacy of the deep cleaning is assessed by performing a periodontal chart. At this point there are three options:

 

  1. Gum disease was stabilised and the patient will be placed in a supportive periodontal care program.
  2. Gum disease was stabilised but the patient needs additional treatments such as periodontal surgery (usually done to make the bone grow back). 
  3. Gum disease was not stabilised, so another round of deep dental cleaning will be required.

 

What happens if I don't get gum disease treated?

If gum disease is not treated, it will keep progressing until the tooth is lost. The sooner gum disease is diagnosed, the better chances we have to stabilise the disease and avoid tooth loss.

 

If you wish to consult with Dr Crystal Marruganti, make sure you head over to her Top Doctors profile today to book an appointment with her.

By Dr Crystal Marruganti
Dentistry

Dr Crystal Marruganti is a leading dentist with a special interest in periodontology based in London. She specialises in periodontitis, crown lengthening and receding gums alongside gummy smile, periodontal treatment and periodontal regeneration. She is based at Harley Street Dental Studio. 

Dr Marruganti, who is currently an affiliate PhD candidate at Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, and doctoral candidate at ​Università degli Studi di Siena, Italy, is highly qualified. She received a DDS in Dentistry and Dental Prosthodontics from the Università degli Studi di Siena, Italy, and then went on to become a research fellow at the University of Pisa, Italy. Following this, she went on to a graduate research role in Periodontics/Periodontology at University College London. 

Her award-winning research has been presented at various national and international conferences, and published in more than 30 international peer-reviewed journals. Her work centres around the links between periodontitis, lifestyle and systemic diseases, as well as the effective management of periodontal conditions.

The awards that Dr Marruganti has won include the H.M Goldman Prize for Best Basic Research by the Italian Society of Periodontology and Implantology (SidP) and the Robert Frank Prize for the best Senior Clinical Research by the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) in 2022. She was also nominated as the representative for the Continental European Division at the Hatton Awards in 2023 and was a finalist in the British Society of Periodontology's Sir Wilfred Fish Research Prize in 2022  

She is also a respected reviewer, with positions including being an editorial board member of the Journal of Osseointegration and a reviewer for the leading journals in periodontology and implant dentistry.    

Dr Marruganti is a member of various professional organisations including the Italian Society of Periodontology (SidP), the British Society of Periodontology (BSP) and the International Association for Dental Research (IADR).

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