Periodontal Therapy
Gum disease (or periodontal disease) is the most common dental issue in the country affecting over 50% of the adult population. During each dental checkup and cleaning we assess whether you may be suffering from this disease.
Gum disease is an infection that attacks the tissues that support your teeth, leading to redness, swelling, and bleeding of the gums and tooth decay resulting in tooth loss. Gum disease also has direct links to diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and dementia.
It’s our team’s priority to fight this infection and save your teeth while protecting your overall health. Three treatments we use to fight gum disease are:
Scaling & Root Planing
Scaling and root planing is a type of dental cleaning that removes deposits of bacterial plaque and tartar on the teeth under the gum line. For this two-part procedure, first, the roots of the teeth are thoroughly cleaned, and then they are slightly reshaped and smoothed out. This is meant to prevent plaque from gathering around the gums in the future, lowering the chances of reinfection.
Antibiotic Therapy
Periodontal pockets are small areas located between your teeth and gums, this is where bacteria primarily like to gather and multiply. They are extremely small and difficult to clean, but antibiotic therapy provides an answer. Applied directly to the gums, a topical antibiotic will quickly dry and then slowly dissolve over the next few days. This will enable the powerful medicine to reach all the way down to the deepest part of the pockets to eliminate even the most well-hidden bacteria.
Soft Tissue Laser
For more severe cases of gum disease, our team uses a soft tissue laser to quickly and painlessly remove bacteria from deep below the gum line without any cutting. The laser is extremely precise and emits almost no heat, sound, or vibration, delivering an effective and comfortable treatment that can make a big difference for your oral health.