Advances in surgical techniques using the latest dental equipment
Periodontal disease is a disease in which the periodontal tissues that support the teeth, such as the gums and alveolar bone, are destroyed by inflammation caused by periodontal pathogens. This disease is the leading cause of tooth loss among Japanese people, and according to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s 2022 Dental Disease Survey, the percentage of middle-aged and elderly people with advanced periodontal disease is reported to be over 50%. There are also patients in their 10s to 30s who have advanced periodontal disease (“Aggressive periodontitis”). Unfortunately, in the past, when alveolar bone was destroyed by periodontal disease, the teeth had to be extracted. However, in recent years, advances in surgical techniques using regenerative medicines, medical materials, and the latest medical equipment such as dental microscopes and lasers have made it possible to restore the periodontal tissues to a healthy state, making it possible to save teeth.
Precise treatment using a dental microscope
Treatment of periodontal disease begins with an examination of periodontal tissue and brushing instruction, followed by an initial treatment to remove plaque and tartar from the root surfaces of the teeth. In mild cases of periodontal disease, these treatments can improve symptoms.
However, if the periodontal pockets (the grooves between the teeth and gums) are deepened and alveolar bone moderately to severely resorbed, initial treatment is unlikely to improve the condition and periodontal surgery may be required. In our department, periodontal surgery has been performed under high magnification using a dental microscope (Photo 1) to make small incisions with a microsurgical scalpel only in the affected areas with bone defects and to meticulously remove plaque and damaged tissue from the roots of the teeth.
In addition, in order to reduce the burden on the body, Er. YAG laser is used in addition to conventional instruments (scalers and Gracey curettes) in periodontal surgery (Photo 2). Furthermore, about 250 cases of the regenerative treatment using “Regroth®”, a periodontal tissue regenerative medicine developed in Japan, and “artificial bone materials” for the area of bone loss, have been performed in the last 5 years, resulting in remarkable effects.
