Treatment of gum disease
In case of gum disease, periodontitis, it is of great importance to tackle the inflammation. If you don’t, you can lose teeth and even cause heart problems. But how do you do that?
It is difficult for you to determine whether you periodontitis but a dentist can. In 1998, dentists agreed to closely examine their patients’ gums every year. They then give the condition of the gums a number between 0 and 4, a so-called DPSI score (DPSI stands for Dutch Periodontal Screening Index).
Depending on the outcome, the dentist decides whether treatment is necessary, and if so, in what form. In practice, however, it appears that only 15 percent of dentists always perform a DPSI measurement on their patients. 30 percent do that most of the time, 30 percent sometimes and 25 percent never. So be sure to ask!
TherapyPeriodontitis is usually treated as a team. The dental hygienist or dentist uses special instruments to remove the plaque and tartar in the pockets (professional dental cleaning). This requires an average of three or four one-hour appointments.
If the inflammation is too deep for it to be addressed from the outside, flap surgery is needed. In doing so, the dentist loosens the gums with a knife and slides it to the side, so that he can clean the tissue properly. He then reattaches the gums. Teeth that are very loose sometimes need to be pulled. In case of a hard-to-reach or persistent inflammation, antibiotics to offer a solution.
By the way, all those treatments only make sense if you take care of your teeth and mouth daily clean. Once the periodontitis has healed, follow-up treatment is usually carried out three to four times a year.
SeriouslyThe dentist can also refer you to a periodontist. For example, if the treatment is complicated or takes a lot of time. A periodontist is a dentist who has completed a three-year advanced training course to specialize in gum problems. There are about 85 periodontists in the Netherlands.
In the case of very severe periodontitis, thanks to new, microscopic surgical techniques, it is increasingly possible to limit or prevent the loss of teeth. Periodontists expect that much more profit can be made with such techniques in the coming years.
What does it cost?On average between €200 and €2300, depending on the severity of the periodontitis. The costs of aftercare are on average €140 to €370 on an annual basis. Incidentally, since 1 January 2012, dentists have been allowed to set their own rates. So it pays to compare the prices of different practitioners.
As far as reimbursement is concerned: even if you are insured for periodontal treatment, you often still have to pay part of it yourself. Therefore, always have your practitioner make a budget in advance and discuss this with your health insurer.
Thanks to Paul Sipos, dental periodontist and chairman of the Dutch Association for Periodontology (NVvP).
Sources):
- Plus Magazine
