When you visit your dentist, you expect them to examine your teeth and look for signs of tooth decay, right? However, you may not consider how important it is that your gums are healthy as well. The fact is that healthy gums keep germs from attacking the root fibers and bone that hold your teeth in place, so avoiding gum disease is essential to your overall oral health.
Sadly, gum disease is a common dental issue that isn’t painful initially, so it may go unnoticed.
Gum Disease and Its Stages
When plaque builds up along your gumline, the bacteria it contains can cause an infection in your gums. If your gums become red, swollen, or inflamed, and they bleed easily, you may have the earliest form of gum disease, known as gingivitis. Gingivitis is reversible with a thorough dental cleaning and proper oral hygiene at home.
If your gum disease is left untreated and worsens, it can develop into periodontitis. This advanced form of gum disease can affect the bones that hold your teeth in place.
The final stage of gum disease is known as advanced periodontitis. At this stage, there is damage to the bones that support your teeth, and you could risk tooth loss. If you notice any of the following symptoms, you may have periodontitis:
- Consistently bad breath
- Loose teeth
- Receding gums
- Red, swollen, tender gums
- Bleeding gums
Periodontal Treatment Options from Sullivan Dental Partners
Maintaining good oral hygiene may help you avoid gum disease altogether, but we understand that gum disease is often difficult to recognize. However, if you notice signs of gum disease, we urge you to call Sullivan Dental Partners for help. Our expert dental team offers a wide range of periodontal treatment options, including the following:
Scaling and Root Planing
This periodontal treatment involves deep cleaning your gums above and below the gumline. We can remove plaque and tartar that your toothbrush and floss can’t reach. Once we remove the plaque and tartar, we smooth out your teeth so your gums can more easily reattach.
Laser-Assisted Flap Surgery/Pocket Reduction
When you suffer from more advanced periodontal disease, you can form pockets between your teeth and gums. These pockets may require surgical intervention to save your teeth. If that’s the case, we will first separate your gums from your teeth and remove the plaque and tartar from the pockets before smoothing and reshaping the bone. The final step of pocket reduction surgery involves reattaching your gums.
Because we use the latest technological advances at Sullivan Dental Partners, this procedure is performed with a laser to ensure comfort and faster healing. We use LANAP, or Laser-Assisted New Attachment Procedure, to provide a less invasive experience for our patients. Using a laser allows us to target and remove the infection-causing bacteria more efficiently than traditional surgical methods, and we can even use the laser to reattach your gum tissue and make occlusal adjustments.
Bone Grafting
If you have experienced bone loss due to gum disease, we can perform a bone grafting procedure where we add bone tissue to the affected area.
Pinhole Gum Recession Treatment
If you have receding gums, we can help get your oral health back on track using a revolutionary procedure known as PST, or Pinhole Surgical Technique. This state-of-the-art, minimally invasive treatment is much faster and more comfortable than traditional gum grafting. Our dental team will make a small hole in your gums before loosening and lifting them over your teeth.
Crown Lengthening
This periodontal treatment option involves reshaping your gums to expose more of your tooth surface. For certain dental restorations to be successful, your gums need ample surface area to work with. Crown lengthening can help your dental restoration stay in place and keep food particles from getting trapped between your teeth and gums.
Do You Need Periodontal Treatment in Nashville, TN?
At Sullivan Dental Partners, we understand the importance of gum health as it pertains to your oral and overall health. You can reach our dental office at (615) 373-1012 for more information.
