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Early Diagnosis and Non-Surgical Treatment of Gum Disease
There are many factors which affect the health of gum tissue. These include home care like brushing, and flossing, diet, systemic problems and the medications taken to control them. Even people who regularly go to the dentist can have an easily reversible inflammation called gingivitis, at the time of their regular cleanings.
When their teeth are cleaned, this condition is generally resolved. People with gum tissue that bleeds on a regular basis, feels very tender or puffy may have moved into a more serious stage of periodontal disease called periodontitis. Using a periodontal probe, which measures pocket depth, and current X-rays, your dentist and hygienist can regularly monitor the health of your gum tissue and health of the supporting soft and hard tissue around your teeth. The perio-probe and X-rays demonstrate the difference in height between the tissue around the neck of your teeth and the bone underneath. When the pocket depth measured exceeds 4mm, the patient can no longer reach the depth of the pocket with dental floss, and the disease will progress without immediate care. Patients with pocket depth between 4 and 6mm usually receive excellent results when a non-surgical gum disease treatment called scaling and root planing or deep cleaning is performed.
Using local anesthetic, the hygienist goes below the tissue using an instrument which scrapes the tooth surface as well as the pocket lining. Once this occurs, the healthy tissue will reattach and shrink to the clean tooth, reducing the pocket depth.
Dietary restriction, special oral rinses, and home care after this procedure must be followed to provide successful results. To ensure continued health, these patients should be seen four times per year for cleanings and exams to ensure patient compliance and tissue health.
If you have areas that do not heal sufficiently, or are deeper than 6mm in depth, you should be referred to a specialist for care.
Perio Protect Tray
Chances are you have a solid routine when it comes to oral hygiene. Brush, maybe floss, gargle, repeat. And you should continue to do all of those things.
You may even schedule regular, six-month dental cleanings. That’s great. Keep it up.
But for over half of American adults, that’s still not enough to ward off bad breath, gum disease or even overall health issues.
That’s because your toothbrush is a tool, as in just one tool, that can only do so much. When it comes to penetrating below the gum line, where open wounds and gum disease are known to thrive, you need more.
Custom trays, molded specifically to your mouth, are built with a patented seal that gently delivers bacteria-fighting hydrogen peroxide deep below your gums where a toothbrush simply can’t reach.
It’s the difference between a Band-Aid and a tourniquet.
And the best part is you’re in control. And it can be done in the comfort of your home.
The benefits are remarkable.
By treating gum disease in this non-invasive way, you can clear up infections that cause bleeding of the gums. This is important because bleeding gums can become a conduit for pathogens to enter your bloodstream and lead to larger issues like heart disease, diabetes, and colorectal cancer.
Further, this treatment also brightens teeth and freshens breath.
So, keep brushing. Maybe get a new toothbrush while you’re thinking about it, but keep brushing. And know that the results you may be seeking can be achieved with a treatment that is almost as simple as brushing your teeth.
Pregnancy & Periodontal Disease
We’ve long known that oral health habits are passed down from generation to generation. But we’re only starting to see the impact of oral health on the next generation, even before birth.
Research has shown that pregnant women who have periodontal infections are at higher risk of preterm delivery of low-birth-weight infants than women without the infections. Moderate to severe periodontitis may even be an independent risk factor. The correlation can be followed through the bloodstream, from the mother’s oral cavity to the placenta.
The key to limiting the impact of gum disease on pregnancy lies in controlling inflammation. Treatment for periodontal disease is safe for pregnant women and can reduce gingival inflammation. In addition to our in-office procedures, we recommend the Perio Protect Method (see above video), which uses special prescription tray to gently deliver hydrogen peroxide deep below the gums at the site of the infections. With this deep delivery, the medication is able to reduce swelling and pathogens that cause inflammation and might otherwise find their way to the fetus through the bloodstream.
Of course, maintaining strong oral health prior to becoming pregnant is the ultimate protection. And we encourage anyone who is either considering pregnancy or thinks they may possibly have signs of gum disease to talk to our dentists about the importance of gum health in relation to your overall health.
Our mission is to put our patients in control of their oral health with a non-invasive home care option. And we believe home care is a huge advantage for mothers-to-be who aren’t necessarily looking for additional appointments to add to their calendars.
Laser Therapy
- Treatment of gum disease- using laser energy in tissue around a tooth will kill bacteria and promote healing.
- Treatment of sensitive teeth
- Removal of excess tissue to improve a gummy smile
If you’re interested in this procedure, please contact us to book an appointment. We are also happy to assist you with any questions you may have.