When thinking about proper oral hygiene, many people forget that this includes proper care of the gums as well as their teeth. Periodontal disease has a wide variety of causes such as poor oral hygiene, smoking and diet, which can cause your gums to recede, wreaking havoc on your teeth. This can then lead to your teeth eroding away and ultimately, tooth loss. Periodontal disease is more commonly known as gum disease and while in most cases, if caught early enough, can be treated successfully with no lasting damage to your teeth or gums. Here at North Auburn Dentistry in California, we offer high-quality periodontal therapy to suit your individual needs.
What is Periodontal Therapy, and why would I need it?
If you’ve developed gum disease, periodontal therapy is an array of treatments that can help solve this problem, and they are an essential part of restoring your teeth and gums back to health. There are surgical and non surgical treatments available for gum disease, depending on the severity of your case and when you’ve visited your dentist. Your dentist may recommend flossing your teeth to begin with to help clean the roots of your teeth and prevent gum disease from spreading further. Again, this fully depends on how harshly gum disease has affected your mouth.
Surgical options involve grafting your gums to protect the root of your teeth and prevent them from eroding and falling out. During this procedure, gum tissue from a donor or taken from a healthy area of your mouth is moved to the diseased part. Another surgical option is gum flap surgery, and this is where your gums are cut and folded back so the root of your teeth can be thoroughly cleaned. Depending on the severity of your case, you may also require dental implants. This is usually an option when you’ve caused irreversible damage to your gums and teeth.
Other options include scaling and root planing, which is a non-surgical option that involves cleaning the plaque from the surface of the tooth’s root, underneath the gums. Your dentist may smooth the surface of the roots on your teeth to prevent bacteria from being able to cling and cause further problems.
Are there any signs of Periodontal disease?
Regular check ups with your dentist are usually when you’ll find out you’ve got the start of gum disease, but there are other symptoms to look out for between visits such as:
- Bad breath
- Horrible taste in your mouth
- Pockets of air between the teeth and gums
- Tooth loss
- Noticeable receding gums
- Bleeding gums when brushing your teeth
If you notice any of these symptoms, or indeed have other symptoms such as pain in the gums or teeth, visit your dentist to see if you have periodontal disease. Remember, the earlier you catch gum disease, the higher chance you have of full recovery and minimise tooth loss.
Visit North Auburn Dentistry in California for a full check up and Periodontal disease treatment. Our team is happy to help.