Regenerative therapy has become something of a buzzword in the medical community. Popular among everyone from professional athletes to weekend warriors, it’s touted as a revolutionary way to heal and recover. But what exactly does regenerative therapy mean?
In short, regenerative medicine enhances your body’s ability to heal itself. The human body is uniquely designed to heal, and regenerative therapy encourages and supports recovery in a variety of ways.
It’s long been used in the field of orthopedics and sports medicine. It has aesthetic benefits, and now it could help you fight periodontal disease.
At Arcadia Perio, our periodontal surgeons, J. Fuentes, DDS, DABP, and Andrew Peterson, DMD, MS, specialize in regenerative therapy to strengthen and restore oral health.
The dangers of periodontal disease
Everyone has bacteria in their mouths that forms a sticky film of plaque on teeth. Brushing and flossing regularly removes plaque. Periodontal disease is a common but serious oral health condition that develops if you don’t remove plaque well enough.
Periodontal disease starts with gingivitis, which is a mild form. We can often reverse gingivitis, but if it’s not treated, it can develop into periodontitis, the most severe form of periodontal disease.
Periodontal disease is an infection that causes inflammation, bleeding gums, and a receding gumline. As it progresses, the infection moves into other soft tissues and bone, eventually causing loose teeth and even tooth loss.
If you have periodontal disease, regenerative therapy could be a good option for you. Periodontal treatments focus on removing infection to stop damage from progressing, but regenerative therapy has the power to speed healing and restore strength to damaged areas.
How regenerative therapy works
Regenerative therapy for periodontal disease is a flexible solution that’s customized to meet your needs. We may recommend a combination of regenerative therapies to fight bone loss from periodontal disease, including:
Bone grafting
Grafting may be the best-known dental regenerative therapy. Periodontal disease often causes bone loss, and bone grafting is a procedure that supplements your jaw to avoid tooth loosening and tooth loss.
At Arcadia Perio, we’re familiar with using all types of bone grafts, including autogenous grafts from your body, allografts from a donor, and xenografts from bovine sources. In a bone graft, your body absorbs the donor bone and begins growing more bone naturally.
Guided tissue regeneration
Whether you have a bone grafting procedure or not, we may use guided tissue regeneration to strengthen bone below your gumline. The process involves placing a thin membrane over the bone to augment it.
As your body heals, the membrane provides essential structure. It directs and encourages natural bone growth in areas with insufficient bone or tissue volume to help your mouth function more normally.
Growth factors
Growth factors are powerful elements naturally found in the body. If you suffer an injury, growth factors flock to the area to repair damage, and regenerative medicine can magnify the effect these growth factors have.
We may use platelet-derived growth factors to enhance healing following periodontal surgery. Growth factor treatment is highly concentrated, which accelerates healing in your gums, soft tissue, and bone.
There’s no one-size-fits-all method for regenerative therapy. Dr. Fuentes and Dr. Peterson strive to find the right method for you. To learn more about your regenerative therapy options for treating periodontal disease, schedule a consultation with us at Arcadia Perio in Arcadia, California.
Call our office at 626-662-1084 or send us a message online today.