Do you need to get your teeth cleaned for periodontitis?

Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
Updated on April 23, 2025
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Periodontitis generally develops from gingivitis and is caused by irritation from dental calculus, soft deposits or dental plaque around the gums, leading to bleeding gums or bleeding when eating, as well as the further infection by bacteria causing swollen, suppurating gums and the formation of periodontal pockets. Severe cases may involve the loss of alveolar bone. Therefore, the basic treatment for periodontitis is dental cleaning, which involves removing irritants around the teeth, followed by rinsing and medicating to improve the inflammatory condition. If symptoms do not improve effectively after basic dental cleaning treatment, further treatments such as subgingival scaling to remove calculus under the gums or root planing may be necessary. If the absorption of the alveolar bone is severe, alveolar bone grafting may also be considered.

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Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
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Do you need to get your teeth cleaned for periodontitis?

Periodontitis is caused by the progression of gingivitis, where food debris or soft plaque around the teeth calcifies into tartar due to saliva, leading to further infection and disease of the periodontal tissues. This condition is known as periodontitis. The fundamental treatment for periodontitis involves removing the irritants, which means removing the tartar through teeth cleaning, followed by further treatment. After the tartar is removed, treatment can involve applying medication to the gums or performing bone graft surgery on the alveolar bone to aid in the recovery from periodontitis. Therefore, the initial step in treating periodontitis is teeth cleaning, which is also the first basic phase of treatment. After cleaning, medication is applied, followed by the maintenance phase for the teeth.

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Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
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Can teeth be extracted with periodontitis?

Teeth should not be extracted during a periodontitis flare-up, as it may involve symptoms like swollen gums, pus discharge, or the presence of inflammatory processes in the periodontium. Extracting teeth during such a flare-up could lead to the systemic spread of the inflammation, potentially causing severe conditions such as bacteremia or sepsis, and even life-threatening situations. Periodontitis involves the resorption of the supporting periodontal tissues. If periodontitis can be managed by cleaning the teeth to remove local irritants, or through guided bone regeneration, and if the teeth can be preserved, it is generally best to avoid extractions. Teeth that can be preserved should be retained. However, if the periodontitis has caused severe lesions and the teeth cannot be preserved, showing signs of looseness or are even on the verge of falling out, extraction should only be considered after the inflammation is under control.

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Written by Li Cui
Dentistry
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Symptoms of periodontitis pain

When a patient suffers from periodontitis, it means that the periodontal tissues are in an inflammatory phase. The inflamed gum tissue may exhibit symptoms such as redness, pain, and a relatively soft texture. Touching it may cause bleeding. Some patients may experience pus discharge and loosening of teeth, which are common symptoms of periodontitis. As the condition progresses, the spaces between teeth may increase, eventually leading to shrinkage of the gum tissue, loosening of teeth, or even tooth loss. Therefore, it is recommended that patients with periodontitis seek timely medical attention at a reputable dental hospital and take appropriate measures. Additionally, it is essential for patients to maintain correct tooth brushing methods and develop proper oral hygiene habits in their daily lives.

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Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
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What department should I go to for periodontitis?

Patients with periodontitis should seek treatment in the periodontal department. If there is no periodontal department available, they can visit the department of oral medicine, or the department of stomatology or otolaryngology. Periodontitis is an inflammation of the periodontal support tissues, including gingivitis and periodontitis, with gingivitis being the early stage of periodontitis. It mainly occurs due to not brushing or rinsing promptly after eating, leading to the accumulation of food residues around the teeth. This condition requires timely teeth cleaning to remove these residues, otherwise, it could cause bleeding during brushing or eating and may further develop into periodontal pockets, leading to the appearance of periodontitis. Periodontitis might also involve the loss of alveolar bone support tissues, which requires timely dental cleaning followed by medication or a guided bone regeneration procedure.

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Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
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Is cleaning teeth useful for periodontitis?

Periodontal cleaning is useful and necessary for gum disease. Cleaning for periodontal disease is a basic treatment method. Gum disease results from the progression and severity of gingivitis, which occurs when teeth are not adequately cleaned after brushing or mouth rinsing is not done promptly after eating. Food residues or plaque accumulate around the gums, causing prolonged irritation, congestion in the gum tissues, or bleeding during eating, which are also the earliest symptoms of gingivitis. This can further lead to the formation of tartar, which attaches to the root surfaces above and below the gums, known as supragingival and subgingival tartar, respectively. Subgingival tartar poses a greater risk as it may lead to the resorption of the alveolar bone. Therefore, it is essential to remove local irritants through dental cleaning in treating periodontitis, followed by subsequent treatments.