Is pyorrhoea curable?
Pyorrhoea can be controlled at any stage — bleeding, pus and bad odour typically resolve with proper treatment, and further destruction can be halted. What cannot be reversed is bone already lost, which is why the stage at which you seek treatment largely decides how many teeth can be kept. An examination with X-rays establishes your stage and your realistic options.
What pyorrhoea is
Pyorrhoea begins as gum inflammation from plaque and tartar, then advances below the gum line. Infected pockets — deepened gaps between gum and tooth — form around the roots, and the jaw bone holding the teeth is progressively eaten away. Untreated, teeth drift, loosen and are lost. Classic signs include:
- Gums that bleed on brushing or on their own
- Persistent foul breath or a constant bad taste
- Pus at the gum margin, especially on pressing
- Gums shrinking away so teeth look longer
- Teeth loosening, drifting or developing new gaps
Why pyorrhoea is often caught late
Pyorrhoea is largely painless until its final stages, and its early signs — a little blood in the sink, some odour — are easy to dismiss or mask with mouthwash. Loosening teeth are not a natural part of ageing; they are the last stage of a preventable infection. Household powders and rubs cannot remove hardened tartar from root surfaces, the actual engine of the disease, so persistent bleeding, odour or pus warrants prompt examination.
How pyorrhoea is treated, step by step
- Staging: Dr Shantanu Rao charts pocket depths around every tooth and reviews X-rays to map how much bone remains.
- Controlling infection: deep cleaning (scaling and root planing) removes deposits from the root surfaces inside the pockets under local anaesthesia, usually across two to four visits.
- Re-evaluation: pockets are re-measured after healing.
- Surgery for resistant sites: flap surgery gives direct access to pockets too deep to resolve otherwise.
- Decisions on hopeless teeth: teeth beyond saving are planned for removal and replacement, so they cannot keep infecting neighbouring bone.
- Maintenance: a personalised recall schedule keeps the disease inactive.
Benefits and honest limitations
The rewards are substantial even in advanced cases: pus, bleeding and odour usually resolve, chewing becomes more confident, and the destruction of bone is stopped, protecting the teeth that remain.
The honest limitations: bone and gum already destroyed do not regrow with cleaning, so gums may sit lower and some teeth may stay slightly mobile; severely affected teeth may still be lost; and pyorrhoea tends to return if maintenance and home care lapse. No clinic can promise to save every tooth — treatment reliably offers control of the infection and the best realistic outcome for your stage. Results vary from patient to patient.
Recovery, aftercare and protecting what remains
After deep cleaning visits, expect a few days of gum soreness and cold sensitivity; surgical stages need a week or so of more specific aftercare. Teeth may feel slightly different as swollen gums shrink to a healthy firmness — a sign of resolving disease, not a complication. Daily aftercare carries half the result: brushing along the gum line, interdental cleaning, quitting tobacco, and controlling diabetes.
Every month pyorrhoea goes untreated costs bone, and bone limits every future option — including dental implants, which need adequate healthy bone and infection-free gums. Treating pyorrhoea first, then replacing lost teeth on a stabilised foundation, is standard practice at the clinic.
What affects the cost
Cost tracks the stage: how many teeth are involved, whether non-surgical cleaning suffices or surgery is needed, whether any teeth require removal and replacement, and the maintenance schedule that follows. After staging your case, Dr Shantanu Rao presents a phased plan with the fee for each phase, so costs are transparent.
Frequently asked questions
Is pyorrhoea the same as periodontitis?
Yes. Pyorrhoea is the older, commonly used Indian name; periodontitis is the modern clinical term for the same disease of the gums and supporting bone.
Can pyorrhoea be treated at home with powders or oils?
No home remedy removes the hardened tartar inside gum pockets that drives the disease. Home care is essential for preventing recurrence, but active pyorrhoea needs professional cleaning first.
Does pyorrhoea spread from person to person?
The bacteria involved can pass through saliva, but disease develops only where plaque control and individual susceptibility allow. Family members sharing risk factors should each have their gums checked.
My gums bleed and my teeth are shaking — is it too late?
Not necessarily. Even advanced cases usually have teeth worth saving, and stopping the infection protects whatever support remains. An examination and X-rays will show exactly where you stand.
How long does pyorrhoea treatment take?
Non-surgical treatment typically spans a few visits over several weeks, followed by re-evaluation. Cases needing surgery or tooth replacement take longer. Your timeline is mapped at the first consultation.