Periodontal Therapy

Periodontics/Gum Disease
Periodontics is the branch of dentistry that deals with the health of the foundational support of the teeth, namely the gums and bone. For years, dentists viewed gum disease as a local problem. However, the most recent medical research has revealed a mouth/body connection.

Gingivitis is an early form of periodontitis, or gum disease. If you experience an occasional swelling of the gums, gums that bleed after brushing or flossing, itchy gums, or bright red or purple gums, chances are you have gingivitis. Gingivitis can be treated by having your teeth professionally cleaned, followed by a strict oral hygiene regimen, including anti-bacterial rinses.  Left untreated, gingivitis can escalate into periodontitis.

Bacteria are always present in your mouth, but when they accumulate above normal levels, they form a biofilm called plaque on your teeth. Over time, if this soft film is not removed by daily brushing and flossing or periodic professional dental cleanings, this film absorbs calcium from the saliva and becomes hardened into what is called calculus or tartar. In either form, bacteria can penetrate the gum tissue and lead to inflammation and gum bleeding. This is the initial stage of gum disease, and it may serve as a precursor to more serious problems. High numbers of bacteria in the mouth have been found to enter the bloodstream where they may attach to the walls of the blood vessels increasing the likelihood of cardiovascular disease or be spread throughout the body resulting in an inflammatory response. This response has been found to place patients at higher risk for the above mentioned problems.

On a local level, the bacteria may cause the interruption of the gum attachment and with increasing burrowing of germs, loss of bone support. In fact, more teeth are lost in this country due to gum disease than due to tooth decay. Studies also illustrate that the more teeth that a patient loses, the shorter their average lifespan. It is for these reasons that the Mayo Clinic has put out a position paper declaring that a healthy mouth could mean an extra 10 years of living, on average.

What Systemic  problems are associated with gum disease?

• Cancer
• Arteriosclerosis
• Diabetes
• Osteoporosis
• Stroke
• Heart disease
• Respiratory disease

Gum treatment
We offer a full-mouth gum disease treatment that saves our patients thousands of dollars by reducing dental treatments and visits. Our strategy involves laser removal of diseased gum tissue, followed by gum pocket antibiotic treatment to eliminate bacteria. This thorough approach prevents the bacterial contamination from spreading and also allows new tissue to attach to the tooth structure.

• Cosmetic Gum Procedures
• Disease Control Procedures
• Laser Gum Surgery

Timely treatment of gum disease can restore your gums to good health.

The first step of gum treatment is to clean the teeth professionally. That means removal of plaque and tartar beneath the gumline, and the bacteria along with it.

Tartar (also called calculus) is plaque which has remained on the teeth for too long, and has hardened into a rough substance. When it forms not only on the teeth, but also on the root surface below the gumline, it's hard to remove and makes it harder to remove new plaque forming, along with the bacteria.

In more advanced cases where the gum pocket is over 4mm deep, non-surgical deep cleaning and laser debridement may be required to remove the infection and eliminate the pocket.

If the bone is involved, some surgeries include bone reshaping around the tooth, to keep it safely anchored.

Once the tartar, plaque, and bacteria are completely removed and your gums have healed, proper oral hygiene will help you maintain healthy gums.

Learn more about gum treatment by reading our Gum Treatment FAQs.