Did you know that your gums are an incredibly important part of your long-term oral health? Your gums, when healthy, provide a reliable anchor for your teeth. When your gums are infected (i.e., have gum disease), you are at greater risk of tooth loss. In fact, gum disease is the most common cause of tooth loss in adults! The first signs of gum disease, also called periodontal disease, include red, sensitive, or inflamed gums. If you notice these signs, don’t worry! Our dentistry team can help you get back on track with your gum health using effective periodontal (gum) diease treatment in Terrell.
For advanced gum disease, we first need to remove the harmful bacteria causing the infection, meaning you will need a series of scaling and root planing appointments. To address calcified plaque (tartar) above and beneath the gum line, scaling goes beyond a routine dental cleaning to remove this bacteria-filled substance from your teeth. In addition, we’ll perform a procedure called root planing, which entails smoothing out the exposed tooth roots, promoting the reattachment of the receded gums to the teeth and preventing bacteria from accumulating there again in the future.
Helping your gums heal and recover from gum disease is a process. While we perform periodontal therapy, we typically request that patients who need scaling, root planing, and antibiotic therapy visit our dental office for more treatments every three to four months. At-home care is undoubtedly critical; however, these routine follow-up appointments give your gums time to continue to improve toward total health after the gums have had time to heal. These visits also allow us to check on your progress and make adjustments to your treatment as needed.
While treating gum disease, we strive to conserve as much of your natural gum tissue as possible. Advanced technology, such as laser gum therapy, allows us to stop gum disease in its tracks through more comfortable and far less invasive ways. This precise and effective tool removes damaged and infected gum tissue, yet it heals the gums on contact, offering shorter healing times and no need for metal dental tools or stitches!