Periodontal disease, more commonly known as gum disease, is a collection of symptoms that begins with the growth of bacteria in the mouth. If left untreated, gum disease can progress to include more serious symptoms, including tooth loss.
According to the CDC, nearly 50% of adults over 30-years-old have some form of periodontal disease. Although common, gum disease can be a serious threat to overall health and should be evaluated and treated as soon as symptoms appear.
Here’s what you should look out for:
If you notice any of these symptoms, reach out to our dentists right away so they can evaluate your oral health and talk to you about gum disease treatments.
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Visiting a dentist or periodontist to maintain your oral health may make it seem like your oral health is an isolated issue — but that’s not true. Your oral health and your overall health are inextricably linked.
Recent studies have found connections between oral health and other health conditions ranging from diabetes to osteoporosis to heart disease.
That’s why it’s so important to visit dentists and periodontists like those at Mid-Peninsula Dental Specialties who take a holistic approach, viewing your oral health as an essential part of your overall health and wellbeing. It’s also why you should wait to seek treatment if you suspect you may be suffering from symptoms of gum disease.
Adequate nutrition, good oral hygiene, and a healthy lifestyle are the best prevention for periodontal disease.
As a prevention-based practice, we encourage our patients to maintain a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables in order to maintain overall health. Adequate nutrition can reduce inflammation.
If patients have periodontal inflammation, we measure antioxidant levels to determine if they are getting adequate nutrition and micronutrients. Reducing inflammation has beneficial effects both orally and systemically. In managing our patient’s health and surgical outcomes, we may suggest topical and/or systemic products to boost healing and recovery.
The best gum disease treatment is prevention; through careful attention to oral hygiene including twice-yearly professional deep cleanings and regular brushing and flossing at home. Early stages of gum disease can even be reversed with an improved oral hygiene routine.
If you’re experiencing symptoms of periodontal disease, schedule a visit so our periodontists can perform a thorough evaluation of your oral health. There are a variety of periodontal therapies to choose from, and they’ll explain your gum disease treatment options so you can make the right choice.
The periodontal disease treatment you receive will depend on the severity of the disease. The goal of treatment is not only to control infection and prevent the disease from progressing but to reverse the damage that has already been done.
Some of the gum disease treatment options you can receive from Mid Peninsula Dental Specialists include:
Scaling and root planing is a deep cleaning that goes beyond the visible surfaces of your teeth, focusing on the areas below the gum line where tartar and plaque can collect.
To achieve this deep cleaning, scaling and root planing involves using special tools that not only remove debris but can deliver an antimicrobial agent to further reduce the buildup of bacteria.
Next, the root planing helps smooth out the root of the tooth which not only removes additional tartar and bacteria but helps your gums reattach after having receded due to gum disease.
Like scaling and root planing, pocket reduction surgery is a periodontal disease treatment to remove tartar and bacteria that have collected beneath the gum line. In cases where the gum disease has become more advanced, pocket reduction surgery may be necessary to clean and treat areas that scaling and planing can’t reach.
After surgery, you may experience some bleeding or discomfort, but our specialists will make sure you have an aftercare plan to keep you as comfortable as possible, including painkillers if necessary.
LANAP™ stands for Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure — which means using a laser to help regenerate tissue that has been lost or damaged due to gum disease.
This treatment can have several benefits over traditional surgery, including being more comfortable and having fewer associated side effects. The LANAP™ device targets diseased tissue without harming the remaining healthy gum tissues.
Similar to pocket reduction surgery, this procedure goes one step further by adding a membrane between the gum tissue and the bone. These membranes assist with tissue regeneration in cases where the gum disease is too advanced for the bone or gum tissues to heal or regrow on their own.
With this procedure, teeth that have become loose and are in danger of falling out may be saved. Guided bone and tissue regeneration may also be used to bring the jaw and gum tissue back to the state of health required for dental implants.
Mon – Thurs: 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Fri: 7:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Sat-Sun: Closed
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