How Much Does Treatment For Periodontitis Cost?

Periodontal disease is one of the most difficult to treat not because treatment is complicated but it’s very hard to maintain the treatment results. Let’s take a look at the possible methods of treating periodontal diseases and the costs.

Treatment of periodontitis is usually made up of 4 stages:

First Stage: Basic treatment involves scaling above and below the gums to remove dental calculus build up and plaque which aggravates the gums. After scaling the inflammation of the gums can be alleviated.

Second Stage: Surgical treatment is carried out after basic treatment and is used when dental pockets are deep and there is a loss of bone and tissues. Through surgery the infected tissues are removed with the use of flap surgery and crown extension.

Third Stage: After the previous stages of treatment the third stage of treatment is to repair teeth. Those with loose teeth, shifting teeth and missing teeth will need  repair treatment done to prevent periodontitis escalating.  

Fourth Stage: The fourth stage is all about maintenance, patients will need to take extra care with dental hygiene after treatment and return to the clinic for regular check-ups to keep periodontitis under control.

Costs of Treatment

The costs of treatment is not based entirely on the severity of periodontitis but will vary for different cases. For example some patients may require tooth extractions, bite adjustment or even surgery which of course will incur further costs.

Mild Periodontitis Treatment: 4,000 RMB – 5,000 RMB

Moderate Periodontitis Treatment: 5,000 RMB – 8,000 RMB

Severe Periodontitis Treatment: 8,000 RMB – 10,000 RMB

The Stages of Gum Disease

Gingivitis is the most common form of gum disease, generally speaking it is advised that you should seek treatment as soon as possible. However, a lot of patients often express that they don’t know how serious and at what stage the gum disease is at. So here is a rough guide for you to determine the stages of gum disease.  

How to Determine the Stage of Gum Disease

How is gum disease determined? Usually a dentist will have to examine the symptoms, dental x-rays and use a periodontal probe that measures how deep any gaps are between your teeth and gums.

1. Gingivitis: Inflammation of the gums which has not yet progressed into the more serious periodontits. The main symptoms of gingivitis is swollen gums, tender of painful gums and receding gums.  

Treatment: For gingivitis a professional dental clean is required to remove dental calculus, with improved oral hygiene the symptoms will subside.

2. Moderate Periodontitis: Dental calculus build-up along the gum line which irritates the gum and causes gaps to form between the gum and teeth. Gum pockets will harbor bacteria and in the long-term these gum pockets will become deeper, dental calculus and bacteria will continue to irritate the gums resulting in receding gums and tooth roots will become exposed.   

Treatment: At this stage a dentist will carry out a clean above the gum line and scaling below the gum line. After this basic treatment, the dentist will have to assess the success of the treatment before going ahead with other treatment.

3. Severe Periodontitis: When periodontitis develops to a severe degree, the gum pocket will continue to deepen, the gums will continue to recede , the teeth will not only look longer and there will be the loss of bone and the teeth will begin to loosen and perhaps even fall out. 

Treatment: In cases of severe periodontitis treatment becomes difficult. Basic treatment will be carried out followed by periodontal surgery. Firstly, the teeth with a mobility grade of 1 or 2 are preserved, however, if the tooth is already very loose then the only option is extraction.

Therefore, regardless of the stage of gum disease or periodontitis, patients should go through with treatment as soon as possible. Preventive measure such as brushing, flossing and rinsing along with regular dental examinations should be done.

Can Teeth be Saved with Periodontal Treatment?

Symptoms of periodontal disease include swollen and painful gums, bad breath, receding gums, loose teeth and other symptoms. When periodontal disease is caught early on and treated your teeth will have a better chance of being saved.

It’s well known that periodontal disease should be treated and maintained for the treatment to be successful. If care is not taken with dental hygiene and treatment the periodontal diseases will recur and can escalate from acute to chronic with the latter being more difficult to treat.

So how long can your teeth survive after periodontal treatment? This is different in every individual case and will depend on how serious the condition is. For example a patient in his 20s has serious periodontitis which has resulted in bone loss and after a x-ray shows that no treatment can preserve the teeth and the only option left is extraction of the teeth. This is the classic case of the teeth are lost even before they can be treated.

Another case is when a patient discovers that their gums are bleeding and swollen and makes an appointment to see a dentist. Once the x-ray is completed and show that it’s the early stages of periodontal disease and actively proceeds with treatment (scaling and root planing). The results are the teeth are preserved and the periodontal diseases is successfully treated.

Therefore, periodontal disease varies from every individual case and even after treatment patients need to pay extra attention to dental hygiene to prevent recurrence. So, there is no need to worry, most periodontal disease can be controlled and stabilized after treatment. Only a small amount of severe cases requires tooth extraction. It is recommended to cooperate with doctors for treatment and care.

Getting Braces with Periodontitis is Possible?

How does periodontal diseases affect orthodontic treatment? Does chronic periodontitis make the teeth loose during orthodontic treatment? A dentist will have to evaluate the severity and discuss with the patient whether they can go ahead with orthodontic treatment.

Second Stage Periodontitis Will Orthodontics Make Teeth Loose?

In general, it is normal to have such concerns, and it is possible. After all, in the second stage of periodontitis there is already the possibility of bone loss. If at this stage no treatment is done and orthodontics is carried out this will lead to further bone loss and in some cases the loss of the tooth.

If it’s already second stage periodontitis then treatment will need to be carried out. A dentist will carry out scaling and also clean below the gum line, root planing may also be done and in some cases periodontal surgery. Periodontal splinting treatment can also be used to stabilize the loose teeth. Once the periodontitis is under control and stable then orthodontic treatment can be considered.   

If periodontitis is not treated this can lead to the loose teeth to reach grade 3 tooth mobility and if orthodontic treatment were to apply pressure to these teeth this would lead to the loss of the tooth. In grade 3 tooth mobility the tooth would have to be removed before braces are fitted.  

Patients with periodontitis would have to take extra care with oral hygiene once braces are fitted, this is to reduce calculus and plaque build-up and more importantly to prevent periodontitis from affecting the orthodontic treatment.

How Serious is Periapical Periodontitis?

Periapical periodontitis is an a inflammation of a tooth root which is usually caused by bacterial invasion of the pulp of the tooth. Pericapical periodontitis should be taken seriously and should be treated as soon as possible. Periapical periodontitis is more commonly known as apical periodontitis (AP).

How does Periapical Periodontitis Affect the Teeth?

Periapical periodontitis occurs when there is infection of the pulp of the tooth. If not properly treated it can evolve into chronic apical periodontitis which can lead to infections reoccurring and causing Pustule formation. In children when cavities are severe dental fistulas may occur.  

In the diagram above you can see the different stages of tooth decay, if it develops into periapical periodontitis this is a very serious problem to the teeth and require a visit to the dentist for examination and treatment.

How is Periapical Periodontitis Treated?

Periapical Periodontitis is treated by drilling open the tooth and removing the nerve and pulp and using medication to disinfect the pulp chamber. Once pain and symptoms have subsided the root canals will be filled and the tooth will be restored. After, there might also be the need for a crown to be fitted depending on the damage of the tooth.

So can periapical periodontitis be treated successfully? This will depend on the skills of your dentist and the severity of your case. In most cases after a scan a dentist will do his best to preserve the tooth, but if the treatment is not successful then the tooth must be removed.

Tips: Periapical periodontitis is rather complicated so it’s best to get in contact with your dentist as soon as you think there is problem so it can be treated early on meaning results are more successful.