We don’t want an issue like periodontal disease to lead to uncomfortable symptoms and tooth loss, which is why we offer periodontics. Our team can treat the issue and keep smiles intact, so you avoid complications like tooth loss. In today’s blog, your Brooklyn, NY, periodontist and implant expert talks about how we diagnose and treat gum disease.
The Causes of Periodontal Disease
What causes an issue like periodontal disease to develop? The trouble starts when factors cause the gums to become inflamed. When gingivitis occurs and it isn’t treated in a timely manner, this could cause the gums to begin pulling away from the teeth. As pockets form at the gum line, disease-causing bacteria can enter them to cause periodontal disease. At this point, there is no cure, but care is possible to manage it with periodontics so you avoid the advanced stage responsible for adult tooth loss. Causes of inflammation and disease could include poor brushing and flossing habits, a diet high in sugar and starch, tobacco use, a family history of the disease, or inflammatory illnesses or certain medications. The factors vary, but we can manage it with periodontics to keep your smile whole.
The Warning Signs of Trouble
When should you see our team for treatment? For many, warning signs include sore and red gums, or bleeding when you brush and floss. There could also be sensitivity or even swelling. As the disease progresses, you could notice recession, in which the gums pull back and make the teeth appear longer. This not only increases the risk of gum disease, but could also leave teeth vulnerable to tooth decay and infection as the exposed roots are not protected by tooth enamel. Don’t ignore potential symptoms, schedule an appointment with our team right away.
Diagnosing the Disease
When you arrive, we will ask you about common risk factors and your daily oral hygiene routine to gauge possible causes. We will then take a close look at your smile with digital x-rays and CT scanning, so we can look for signs of disease, and wear on the connective tissues and underlying bone structure. We can then assess the presence and severity of the disease and create a custom treatment plan to ensure we can manage the disease and keep your smile intact, so you avoid issues like tooth loss. If you have already lost teeth due to the disease, then our team could manage it and place dental implants to fill the gaps and offer a full smile again.
Addressing Minor Cases
If we catch the issue in a more minor stage, then our team could conduct a deep cleaning. Also known as a scaling and root planing, this involves our team removing all plaque and tartar from the teeth, roots, and from beneath the gums. Doing so allows us to manage the issue moving forward with simple preventive treatments. This could take one visit or as many as four, depending on the extent of your buildup. We complete the procedure by polishing your smile, making it hard for harmful plaque and tartar buildup to accumulate before your next cleaning visit.
More Advanced Treatments
If you have a more advanced case of the disease, then our team could offer care with dental lasers. We have options like REPAIR with WaterLase, LANP, and LAPIP, which employ dental lasers calibrated for soft tissue use. We employ these to trim away the diseased portions of your tissues, so healthy ones can reattach to the teeth and make the disease more manageable. We can reshape the gum line in the process and also destroy pockets of harmful disease-causing bacteria. To help the treated areas heal quicker, we could use advanced treatments like Platelet Rich Palma to help repair underlying tissues and connective structures.
Specialized Hygiene Maintenance
Once we conduct a deep cleaning or laser treatment, we will offer hygiene services to manage the issue and keep an eye on inflammation, with x-rays, exams, dental cleanings every three to four months, and more. If you have any questions about our approach to periodontics, or if you would like to schedule a visit with our team, then contact our office today to get started. Let’s improve your smile and gum health in 2025, give us a call soon!
Schedule An Appointment for Handling Your Gum Disease
Our team wants to help you enjoy a full and healthy smile, which means stronger gum health. To learn more about how we treat and manage issues like periodontal disease, contact your Brooklyn, NY, periodontists today at (718) 444-3800.
