Periodontics

After seeing your dental hygienist or dentist, gum treatment may be recommended. The foundation of your teeth and mouth is called the periodontium. The periodontium consists of your gums, bones and ligaments keeping your teeth secured and strong in your mouth.

Sometimes, our gums and underlying support for our teeth becomes unhealthy. This can be caused by a combination of contributing factors such plaque build up, tartar accumulation, genetics, systemic conditions, occlusion issues, teeth crowding, and environmental influences. Gingivitis is a reversible type of gum disease while periodontitis is not. Bone loss occurs with periodontitis, and if advanced amounts of bone is lost, tooth loss can occur.

Our in office non-surgical gum therapy includes a procedure called scaling and root planing. Our dental hygienists deep scale and clean under the gums to remove hard and soft bacteria. This is usually done in two separate appointments where local anesthetics are used to create a comfortable experience for you. Sometimes antibiotic therapy is used to help heal the gums.  A six week follow up after scaling and root planing is completed to evaluate your gums, review oral hygiene instructions,  and determine your needs to keep you and your mouth healthy.