Gum Disease & Periodontal Treatments
What is gum disease?
Gum disease (also called periodontal disease) is a chronic inflammatory condition caused by a bacterial infection of the structures around your teeth. The inflammation starts at the gum tissue and eventually reaches the bone around the teeth.
Once the bone becomes inflamed it starts to resorb. As teeth lose bone support, they become mobile and will eventually be lost which is the end stage of gum disease.
Symptoms of Gum Disease:
- Bleeding gums
- Opening of spaces between teeth
- Food impaction between teeth
- Bad breath
- Swollen gum
- Loose teeth
Gum Disease Solutions
The solution for periodontal disease depends on the severity and the exact reasons you have this problem. For initial conditions we often recommend a “deep” cleaning, which is a detailed cleaning done in the office with some local anesthesia for your comfort.
In many situations, we do a bacterial DNA test after which we might recommend an antibiotic that matches the type of bacteria in your mouth. For more advanced conditions where you might have lost bone, we often recommend a periodontal procedure that involves bone grafting and using different proteins and platelet rich fibrin.
Treating the “gummy smile”
Some patients are bothered by the amount of gum shown in their smile. This is often a result of too much gum covering the teeth. The result is a gummy smile, square-looking teeth, and asymmetry. The solution is a procedure we specialize in called esthetic crown lengthening. It’s a minimally invasive procedure that allows our doctors to remove the excess gum tissue while sculpting and creating a new, beautiful smile. You don’t have to live with a gummy smile and short teeth. Esthetic crown lengthening is our expertise.
Left untreated, periodontal disease could lead to the loss of many of your teeth.
When inflammation is allowed to exist, it expedites bone loss which leads to mobility. Mobile teeth are not functional and need to be extracted. The opposite is true as well, patients that have their periodontal disease treated can many times slow down or even arrest the disease process and enjoy a life with natural teeth.
Leaving periodontal disease untreated also allows for cell inflammation to travel through the body and affect your health.
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