Introduction
The main cause of gingivitis is a lack of oral hygiene or dental care. The duration of such an inflammation increases as soon as the body is systemically, i.e. in its entirety, disturbed and cannot fight the bacteria. The severity of gingivitis also plays an important role in the duration of healing. Mild gingivitis can be treated by improving oral hygiene. However, for more serious inflammations, a dentist must be consulted in any case.
General duration
It is not possible to give a concrete time indication of the period of time over which gingivitis extends. However, there is one exception. During pregnancy the hormones change in such a way that they increase the permeability of the blood vessels and increase the blood flow to the gums.
If the hormone balance changes after birth, the gums can recover. But even in these cases every body reacts differently. The length of time varies alone, as the inflammation comes faster in some patients than in others.
It depends on how good the oral hygiene is, how strong the immune system is. It even depends on how the teeth are in relation to each other. Chronic inflammation develops over several years.
Acute inflammation develops suddenly. Accordingly, the healing process is slower or even faster. In addition, some patients respond to an antibiotic, while in others the antibiotic has no effect. The course and duration cannot be generally predicted.
Duration of the treatment
The overall treatment is divided into 3 sections: There is the pre-treatment, the actual treatment and the aftercare. During the pre-treatment, oral hygiene is determined and a professional tooth cleaning is carried out. Through this an improvement is often already visible.
The patient has to visit the dentist until at least 25% of all teeth are in good condition. If the oral hygiene is below 25% at some point, a therapy can be started. Especially young patients, who may be very careful about their oral hygiene, but still suffer from periodontitis (inflammation of the periodontium), an additional sample is sent to the laboratory.
Depending on the extent of the inflammation, i.e. the severity of the periodontitis, the appropriate form of therapy is chosen. If necessary, tartar below the gums, the so-called concrements, is also removed. The surface of the root is smoothed with hand instruments or ultrasound devices to prevent new plaque from adhering.
After 4-6 weeks the patient comes for a follow-up examination. Pockets which previously had a depth of 5-6 mm must be surgically opened and cleaned under direct vision. In this operation, bone replacement material can also be inserted if necessary.
Soft tissue can be transplanted to hide exposed tooth necks. Depending on how long the preliminary treatment takes, the entire treatment can last from 2 months to a year. How long a treatment takes depends on many factors.
Firstly, the most important is that the patient improves oral hygiene and changes his or her brushing habits. No improvement can be expected without the patient’s cooperation. On the other hand, the duration of the treatment varies depending on how advanced the inflammation is. A mild acute gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) can be treated within one session. If the gingivitis is advanced, several sessions will be necessary.
