Periodontal (gum) disease is a destructive progressive condition that can wreak havoc on your oral health. In fact, it is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults today! The good news is that you can manage or even reverse gum disease with a meticulous oral hygiene regimen and a little help from your trusted team at Dental Care of Greensboro!
What Is Periodontal Disease?
Periodontal or gum disease is an inflammation and infection of the structures supporting the teeth, including the gums, periodontal ligament, and alveolar bones. The earliest stage, called gingivitis, is characterized by red, puffy, and bleeding gums.
If not treated, the condition will progress to periodontitis. The gums begin separating from the teeth, leaving pockets that provide harmful oral bacteria with the perfect environment to flourish. As the condition advances, it destroys the bone and tissues supporting the teeth, often leading to tooth loss.
How Is Periodontal Disease Treated?
Treating periodontal disease will depend on its stage. In its earliest form, when it’s still gingivitis, gum disease can be treated and even reversed with the help of professional dental cleanings and a meticulous home oral hygiene regimen.
If your gum disease has advanced beyond gingivitis, the first step of treatment is a deep cleaning, a non-surgical procedure known as scaling and root planing. During scaling, our hygienist will remove plaque and tartar from around your gum line and down to the bottom of each periodontal pocket. The next step is root planing, which involves smoothing out the tooth root surfaces to promote gum tissue healing and reattachment to the clean tooth surfaces. An exciting and successful approach is using erbium lasers to non surgically sterilize the area and stimulate new bone to grow. We are one of the very few offices with this technology and the experience to utilize it.
Our team may also recommend irrigating the area with medications to help control the infection and encourage healing. In some cases, we may recommend periodontal surgery to restore your gum health.
Periodontal Maintenance
After treatment, we typically recommend periodontal maintenance visits every three months. That involves cleaning your teeth, evaluating the health of your gum tissues, and measuring your periodontal pocket depth and gum recession. You’ll also need to follow a long-term home cleaning regimen. Our goal is to manage your periodontal disease to maintain your gum and bone health.
Periodontal Disease Treatment in Greensboro
Visit Dental Care of Greensboro to learn more about gum disease treatment and management. We are committed to ensuring our valued patients achieve lifelong dental health. Call us and schedule your appointment today!