The gums are an incredibly important part of long-term oral health for a number of reasons. Without healthy gums, your teeth do not have a reliable anchor, which is why gum disease is the number-one cause of tooth loss. If you notice that your gums are becoming tender, sensitive or inflamed in any way. Our dental office has many treatments that can help you get your gum health back on track in a comfortable and effective way.
If you have advanced levels of gum disease, the first step of treatment is a series of scaling and root planing appointments. These treatments are more extensive then professional cleanings because they address calcified plaque (tartar) beneath the gum line. Scaling is performed to remove tartar from above and below the gum line, while root planing is done to smooth out the tooth roots. As gum disease develops, gum tissue begins to recede and expose the roots. With root planing, our dentists can promote the reattachment of the roots of teeth to the gums.
As part of your scaling and root planing (SRP), we also use antibiotic therapy to accelerate the healing of gum tissue. Performing antibiotic therapy during SRP allows the antibiotic to work more effectively. Antibiotics come in either liquid and pill form for gum disease, but both are effective at removing bacteria. Once you come back for your follow-up appointment in the next few months, we’ll confirm if the antibiotics are working effectively.
The last thing we want to do is harm your gums while performing periodontal therapy. That’s why we request all patients who are undergoing treatments like scaling, root planing and antibiotic therapy to visit our dental office for additional treatments every three to four months. While at-home care is incredibly important, these routine follow-up appointments give the gums time to continue treatment after the gums have had some time to heal. If your recovery is not going as planned, we’ll make adjustments as needed.
Part of gum therapy includes conserving as much of your natural gum tissue as possible, not exclusively removing infected tissue. With the help of the right technology, stopping gum disease in its tracks can be a lot more comfortable and far less invasive. Our dental office uses highly advanced laser therapy to more precisely and more effectively remove damaged and infected gum tissue. Because it heals the gums on contact, you can also expect shorter healing times required and no need for metal dental tools or stitches!
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