Periodontal disease can lead to discomfort in your smile and over time, even increase the risk of tooth loss. Which is why our team wants to offer care that manages the disease and keeps your smile intact. In today’s blog, your Brooklyn, NY, periodontist and implant expert talks about the treatments we use to manage gum disease.
The Causes and Symptoms of Periodontal Disease
When inflammation causes the gums to pull away from the teeth and form pockets along the gum line, disease-causing bacteria can enter them. This leads to the onset of periodontal disease. While the disease cannot be cured, treatment can be offered to manage it and safeguard you against the onset of common concerns like discomfort and even adult tooth loss. The inflammation could be the result of poor oral hygiene habits and a diet high in sugar and starch, which creates plaque buildup that irritates the gums. Other factors include the use of certain medications, inflammatory illness, a family history of the disease, and tobacco use.
You should let us know once you encounter possible warning signs, such as sore, red gums that bleed easily. Don’t ignore them, as lack of care is a recipe for tooth loss and we want to help you smile with confidence!
The Importance of Treatment
Over time, the disease will grow in severity and eventually reach a stage known as periodontitis. As we touched on above, this will sever the connective tissues between the teeth and gums to cause tooth loss. Missing teeth then weaken your jawbone to impact your facial structure and cause a prematurely aged appearance. But we can help keep your gums strong so they frame your smile and support your teeth, allowing you to smile with confidence.
Deep Cleanings
We see patients at different stages of the disease. In the early stages, we could help manage the disease with a deep cleaning. Also known as a scaling and root planing, this involves using an ultrasonic scaling device and a manual tool to break up and remove all buildup from the teeth and roots, as well as beneath the tissues. While this uses the same tools as a traditional cleaning, the procedure is more involved and we will numb the smile to keep you comfortable. For some, this can be done in one visit, while others may need two or as many as four, depending on the severity of your plaque and tartar buildup. Once we remove the buildup and polish your teeth, this will allow us to manage the issue moving forward with traditional cleanings every three to four months.
Dental Lasers
For more advanced stages of periodontal disease, our team could offer treatment with a dental laser. Using a concentrated beam of light calibrated for soft tissues, we can gently remove diseased tissues from the gums and then reshape the gum line in the process. This technology also destroys pockets of harmful bacteria. When we use this technology, we can conduct treatment in only one visit. The lasers reduced the risk of swelling, bleeding, and infection, and allows the area to heal quicker since we don’t use scalpels and sutures. Many people can return to their normal routine in as little as 24 to 48 hours. The lasers are also comfortable and some procedures need little to no anesthesia! Our team will take the appearance of your smile into consideration too, so the results look good.
Management
Following the treatment, we could offer options like Platelet Rich Plasma to help heal connective tissues and underlying bone structure in a faster timeframe. We could also suggest special antimicrobial medications and routine cleanings every few months to control buildup and help your smile remain healthy and strong. If you have lost teeth to periodontal disease, we could manage the disease and then offer treatment with dental implants, providing new teeth that look and function like natural ones. In fact, we can replace an individual missing tooth or even support a full set of fixed dentures.
If you have any questions about how our team will diagnose and treat issues like periodontal disease, or if you want to schedule an appointment for the new year, then contact our team today to learn more. We want to help you smile with confidence in 2025 and beyond!
Your Brooklyn, NY, Periodontist Treats Periodontal Disease
We want to help you enjoy better oral health and a smile that stays full and beautiful! To schedule an appointment and keep your gums strong, contact your Brooklyn, NY, periodontist by calling (718) 444-3800.
