What is Gum Disease?
Periodontal disease (more commonly known as gum disease) is an infection of the supporting tissues of your teeth. It is generally caused by poor oral hygiene habits that allow plaque to buildup up on your teeth and to harden, eventually affecting your gum tissues.
If not promptly treated, gum disease can lead to a whole variety of oral health issues, including bleeding and inflamed gums, a receding gum line, bacteria-filled pockets caught between your teeth and gums, and the eventual loss of bone in your jaws.
Gum Disease Therapy
Periodontal treatment methods largely depend on the type and severity of this disease. Our dental team will work with you to create a treatment plan based on your particular case.
Once your periodontal treatment has been completed, our dental team will recommend that you have regular dental examinations and preventive therapy, usually four times a year.
- Preventive Gum Therapy
If the disease is caught in the early stages, preventive therapy will be recommended.
Regular hygiene cleanings and exams are important for maintaining the health of your gums.
By practicing good oral hygiene while at home and eating a balanced diet that supports your oral health, you can significantly reduce your chances of ever developing gum disease.
- Non-Surgical Gum Therapy
For patients with mild gum disease, a deep cleaning performed by a dental hygienist may be enough to reverse it.
The dental hygienist will scrape away the plaque and tartar around and below the gum line, and smooth out any rough areas left behind through a process called scaling and root planing.
- Surgical Gum Therapy
For patients with more advanced forms of gum disease, more invasive surgical treatments may be necessary to reverse it.
There are a few different kinds of surgical gum therapy, including gum grafting and bone grating that can help to treat your condition.
Cosmetic Gum Therapy
If your gums rest too low or too high on your teeth and you are unhappy with the way your smile looks, you may be a candidate for a gum grafting procedure.
This cosmetic dental procedure can help to even out an uneven gum line and reduce the perceived length of your teeth in order to give you a smile that you can be proud of.
Placing Dental Implants
Periodontics can also include the placement of dental implants below the gum line as part of the process of replacing a missing tooth and filling a gap left in your smile.
Once a dental implant is placed, the gums have healed, and a tooth replacement is added, this procedure can provide a number of oral health benefits.