Periodontal Disease
Periodontal disease, or gum disease carries serious risks, the most severe of which is loss of permanent teeth. At Sellersville Family Dental, we address periodontal disease head-on, doing whatever is possible to save your adult teeth.
Risks of Periodontal Disease
The important thing to know about periodontal disease is that it comes on slowly, often over a matter of years. There are several stages to be on the lookout for, including receding gums, bleeding gums, shifting teeth, bad breath (which indicates growth of bad bacteria), and finally, loose teeth. If you visit your dentist on a regular basis, these early warning signs can be caught and addressed. But sometimes new patients come to us with periodontal disease in full swing.
How Periodontal Disease Treated?
For all the risks involved with periodontal disease in Sellersville, PA, your dentist has the tools and knowledge to treat it. All you need to do is to book your appointment and let your dental professional do the rest! For treating periodontal disease, the first line of treatment is scaling and root planing.
What’s Scaling & Root Planing?
First, scaling is a process where your dentist or dental hygienist uses a tool to “descale” the teeth of tartar and plaque. Tartar is plaque that’s hardened into a cement-like substance, or a calcification that’s attached to the teeth. Your dentist has two available tools to perform this part of the treatment; a handheld metal device and an ultrasonic scaler. The process takes as long as it takes; the calcified deposits have to be removed, which may be numerous, depending upon the condition.
After scaling, your dentist or hygienist will perform what’s called root planing. Because remember, your tooth consists of more than just what’s visible above the gum line. And periodontal disease strikes the gums as well as the teeth. The idea behind root planing is to make it harder for bacteria to make a habitat on the roots. On a microscopic level, there are lots of nooks and crannies on the roots where those tiny bacteria can hide. Besides that, a bonus to root planing is that this treatment makes it better and easier for the gums to heal and ultimately reattach to the teeth. This reattachment makes teeth stronger and is all part of the recovery process from periodontal disease.
After scaling and root planing, your teeth and gums will need to recover, both from periodontal disease and from the rigorous treatment. As your dentist in Sellersville, we may prescribe an antibiotic to ensure that all bad bacteria is gone. You should adhere to all your dentist’s follow-up instructions for the best possible outcome.
Staying clear of periodontal disease can be achieved with regular dental visits. But if you are in this situation already, don’t despair, because Sellersville Family Dental can diagnose and treat periodontal disease.
