Achieve Optimal Gum Health with Effective Periodontal Disease Treatment
Do you have red, swollen, or receding gums? These are tell-tale symptoms of gum disease. Don’t let gum disease progress because you’ll soon lose your teeth! When you suspect gum infection, have it treated immediately at Brentwood Dental Care before it’s too late. Dr. Don Mungcal offers several periodontal disease treatments to ensure you achieve healthy, beautiful gums.
How gum disease develops
Gum disease develops in stages. The earliest form is gingivitis, which occurs when saliva mixes with bad bacteria and food debris to form plaque. The harmful bacteria in plaque produce toxins that irritate your gums, causing mild symptoms like gum redness, bleeding, and swelling.
If you fail to remove plaque, it hardens into tartar (dental calculus) that becomes trapped at the tooth’s base. Unlike plaque, tartar can’t be removed with brushing and flossing — you need the help of a dentist to eliminate it.
Tartar always leads to uncontrolled bacterial invasion, causing periodontitis. At this stage, the damage isn’t just on the surface of the gums. Gingival tissues loosen, and pockets form around the base of the teeth. Bacteria gather around these periodontal pockets, causing more damage to the gums and teeth-supporting structures. As a result, teeth become loose and eventually fall out.
Targeted treatment for periodontal disease
The earlier we treat gum disease, the better. Why? We can reverse gingivitis with good brushing and flossing alongside standard cleanings. Sometimes, we can recommend antibiotics and oral rinses to put the gum infection under control.
Treating gum infection beyond the gingivitis stage requires more than the above treatments. We may recommend the procedures below to overcome gum disease.
- Deep teeth cleaning: This double-barreled treatment involves scaling and root planing (SRP). Scaling removes plaque and tartar from the teeth and beneath the gum line to eliminate troublesome bacteria. The dentist polishes rough edges on the tooth roots through root planing to prevent future bacterial infections.
- Laser dentistry: Advanced gum disease always requires surgery to restore your gum health. Instead of traditional gum surgery, we use laser dentistry to access and remove diseased tissues. Laser periodontal therapies are preferred because they lead to minimal trauma, bleeding, and recovery time.
- Pinhole gum treatment: Gum disease “eats away” healthy tissues, resulting in gum recession. In such cases, you may need gum grafting, which involves removing healthy tissue from another part and stitching it into place. Traditional gum grafting works, but the procedure is invasive and prolongs recovery. Pinhole gum rejuvenation repairs recessed gums using a small hole created along the gum line. The treatment restores the health and aesthetics of your gums without scalpels and sutures.
Are you troubled by gum disease in Brentwood, CA? Please contact Brentwood Dental Care by calling (310) 444-9900.
