Gum Disease Treatment
Rockwall & Paris, Texas
Gum disease can cause the gums to pull away from the teeth, creating periodontal pockets where plaque and tartar, also known as calculus, can accumulate. As the disease progresses, it can also damage the bone and other tissues that support the teeth. To help evaluate your periodontal health, we use a thin probe to measure the depth of the spaces between your teeth and gums. Healthy probing depths are generally 3 mm or less, while deeper pockets, particularly when accompanied by bleeding, attachment loss, or bone loss, may indicate periodontal disease.
Without proper treatment, plaque and calculus can continue to accumulate below the gumline, allowing inflammation and infection to progress. Over time, this can lead to further loss of the tissues and bone supporting the teeth. In advanced cases, periodontal disease can cause teeth to become loose and may eventually result in tooth loss.
At Northeast Texas Periodontal Specialists, we take a conservative approach to treating gum disease and work to avoid periodontal surgery whenever possible. We often see excellent results when incorporating Perioscopy technology into nonsurgical periodontal treatment. To learn more about identifying and treating gum disease, please refer to the information below. To schedule an evaluation, contact our Rockwall office at (972) 771-8640 or our Paris office at (903) 785-4832.
Gum Disease
Commons Signs
In the early stages of gum disease, you may not exhibit any obvious symptoms; however, as the pockets deepen and gum disease progresses, the following symptoms may occur:
- Bleeding gums
- Swollen gums
- Chronic bad breath
- Pain while chewing
- Tooth sensitivity
- Gum recession
- Loose teeth
If you have noticed any of these symptoms, we suggest you contact our office to make an appointment.
Gum Disease
Risk Factors
One of the biggest factors that can increase your risk of developing gum disease is smoking. Additional factors that may increase your risk include:
- Hormonal changes in women
- Diabetes
- Medications
- Genetic predisposition
How To Avoid
Gum Disease
The best things you can do to avoid developing gum disease are to brush and floss daily and schedule regular checkups every six months. These regular examinations allow us to monitor the health of your gums and teeth and address issues as early as possible. Patients with generally healthy gums and teeth may only require a checkup every six months, whereas patients who are at a greater risk of developing gum disease may need periodontal maintenance every three to four months.
Gum Disease
Treatment Options
To determine which gum disease treatment option is best suited for you, we will perform a comprehensive exam to determine the severity of your gum disease and its underlying cause. This exam will include digital X-rays and measuring the depth of your gum pockets using a thin probe. Once the examination is complete, we will develop a personalized treatment plan and discuss available treatment options. We are happy to answer any questions you may have regarding your treatment options during this time.
Our priority is to provide you with minimally invasive procedures whenever possible. One of the most effective methods for halting and preventing the progression of gum disease is a deep teeth cleaning/scaling and root planing procedure. We often combine this procedure with the Perioscopy to assist in visualizing below the gums and into the pockets. This unique technology magnifies the root surface up to 30X, so we are able to clean at a very high level. This procedure involves removing plaque and calculus that has accumulated on the surfaces of your teeth and below your gum line and addressing rough areas, abrasions, or pits in order to inhibit plaque from embedding and multiplying on the surface, and to enhance your gums' ability to reattach and heal.
One of the reasons our nonsurgical deep cleanings are so successful in treating moderate and even severe gum disease is because we utilize advanced dental technologies like the perioscope (also called Perioscopy). A perioscope is a tiny video microscope that allows us to closely examine deeply buried deposits of calculus on the tooth roots that would not otherwise be detectable. Because we are able to identify and remove these deposits, we can effectively treat moderate and even severe cases of periodontal disease that would otherwise require surgical intervention. In fact, in many cases, the perioscope allows us to achieve even better results than surgery, which does not allow for close examination of your teeth.
If a deep cleaning does not correct your gum disease, or if your gum disease has already progressed to the point of causing issues such as recessed gums or teeth that have become loosened or fallen out, other treatment options may be explored, such as gum grafting, gum surgery, or dental implants.
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