Periodontic care can help manage periodontal disease and treat it, so you can enjoy better oral health and avoid complications like tooth loss. Our team can offer treatment with advanced technology, including dental lasers. In today’s blog, your Brooklyn, NY, periodontist and implant expert talks about our treatments for gum disease.
The Causes of Periodontal Disease
What causes periodontal disease to form in our smiles? The trouble starts when the gums become inflamed. This could be due to plaque and tartar buildup brought on by poor oral hygiene habits and a diet high in sugar and starch. You could also develop inflammation due to certain medications or illnesses, a family history of periodontal troubles, or a lack of cleanings to remove plaque and tartar buildup. When the disease forms, there is no cure, but we can offer care to manage it and keep your smile intact!
The Warning Signs of the Disease
What are the warning signs of periodontal disease? People may experience soreness in their gums, or the tissues could appear redder than usual. There could be swelling, or even recession that makes the teeth appear longer. You may also encounter bleeding when you brush or floss. When you encounter one or more of these potential warning signs, then you should see our team for treatment. We will conduct a diagnosis with advanced imaging to see if you need treatment, and discuss options to manage the issue and keep your smile whole.
The Dangers of Periodontitis
Without treatment, the disease could reach a more advanced stage known as periodontitis. At this stage, the disease could destroy the tissues connecting your teeth and gums, and could lead to loose and missing teeth. In fact, this is the number one cause of adult tooth loss. We offer care to help your smile stay strong and intact, so you avoid major complications. Should you lose teeth due to the disease, after managing it with laser treatment we could discuss options like dental implants to fill the gaps and offer a complete smile again.
Digital Imaging
To start the diagnostic process, we will take detailed digital x-rays and CT scans of your smile. These panoramic images are high-definition and taking them uses 90% less radiation than traditional images. These images are available instantly on chairside monitors, so we can walk you through the diagnostic process and help you better understand the current state of your smile. We can then plan treatment in detail, so we can offer better oral health with periodontics.
Scaling and Root Planing
If we catch the issue in the early stages, then our team could offer a periodontic treatment known as a deep cleaning, or a scaling and root planing. The procedure involves using the same tools as a traditional dental cleaning, only we remove buildup from the teeth and the roots, and destroy harmful bacteria that is caught under the gum line. The procedure could take one visit or as many as four, it all depends on the severity of your buildup. We then polish the teeth to make it more difficult for plaque and tartar to attach to the smile in between your visits. We will follow this up with traditional cleanings every three to four months to control harmful buildup.
Laser Treatment
Our team could also use advanced technology to tackle your disease as part of our approach to periodontics. With dental lasers, we have systems like LANAP, REPAIR, and LAPIP that are designed to gently trim away diseased portions of the gums with precision, so healthy tissues can attach to the teeth and our team can reshape the gum line. This targets areas with precision, allows fast healing, and doesn’t leave behind swelling, infection, or bleeding. In fact, treatment rarely requires the use of anesthesia!
Platelet Rich Plasma
To help the treated area heal quickly following our last treatments or other periodontic treatments, we could offer Platelet Rich Plasma. This is a special autoplasm that we inject into the treated areas to help underlying gums and connective tissues heal quickly, so you can return to your normal routine and enjoy a strong smile. If you have any questions about our approach to periodontics, or if you need to schedule a visit with our team, then contact our office today to learn more.
Schedule Your Periodontic Appointment
Our team wants to help improve the overall health and beauty of the smile. To learn more about how our team manages gum disease and safeguards smiles, contact your Brooklyn, NY, periodontists today at (718) 444-3800.
