Non Surgical
Periodontal Therapy
in London

What is Non- Surgical Periodontal Therapy?

If you have been diagnosed with a form of periodontitis (severe gum disease), initial treatment normally begins with non-surgical periodontal therapy. The aims of this treatment are to reduce inflammation and the depth of pockets around the affected teeth.

As part of this treatment, Dr Kalsi will go through a tailored programme of how to clean your teeth. This is NOT advise but will be a prescriptive programme including use of an electric toothbrush (which you are advised to bring your own for demonstration) and Tepe® interdental brushes. This is the most vital aspect of treatment, such that without effective home oral hygiene, treatment is unlikely to be effective in the short or long-term. We will check that you are comfortable in performing the cleaning yourself and your compliance will be monitored throughout.

The treatment itself entails the removal of plaque bacteria and calculus below the gum line through root surface debridement. We typically carry this out under local anaesthetic to ensure that you are comfortable. If required, Dr Kalsi may prescribe antibiotic tablets to improve treatment outcomes when deemed appropriate.

Treatment is typically carried out over multiple appointments, as we will focus on individual areas during each appointment. Appointment times vary from 60-120 minutes. Normally where full mouth cleaning is required this is completed over 2 sessions; during each session half mouth (e.g. upper and lower right side teeth)root surface debridement is undertaken. Following completion of the prescribed treatment, you will be advised to return for a reassessment visit to assess your response to the treatment.

The benefits of the treatment include:

Improvement in your ability to perform effective home care/oral hygiene procedures to allow long-term maintenance of the results.
Reduction in inflammation, noticeably less bleeding
Reduction in halitosis (bad breath)
Reduction/resolution of deep pockets
Reduced mobility of loose teeth
Increased lifespan of teeth
Removal of staining

Risks include:

Mild post-operative pain which can be managed with painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen.
Sensitivity (especially to cold) but this is usually short-lasting and can be managed with toothpastes designed to reduce sensitivity.
The recession of the gums may occur following treatment. This can be noticed with slightly longer teeth and larger spaces between the teeth. You will be informed if this is likely to have an impact on your aesthetics when smiling. Dr Kalsi will offer options to improve the appearance of your teeth if this is of concern to you.
Initially increased mobility of localised teeth, for teeth which have suffered significant bone loss. Such teeth occasionally require splinting as part of treatment to keep them from moving. If this is required Dr Kalsi will discuss this with you.
Initial increase in bleeding. It is imperative that you are consistent with your oral hygiene regimen in the initial period where there may be increased bleeding with use of interdental aids. The bleeding is caused by the inflammation, not from the cleaning. The cleaning is required to reduce the inflammation.