A healthy smile plays a big part in your overall health! That’s why routine dental care is of the utmost importance. But as important as regular brushing and flossing are, more is needed to maintain excellent gum health. Bacterial plaque and calculus (also known as tartar) buildup causes gum deterioration, and therefore needs to be removed routinely by a registered dental hygienist. If plaque and calculus are left under the gum tissue, gingivitis and periodontal disease will set in, eventually leading to bad breath, swollen and sore gums, and, unfortunately, tooth loss.
Periodontics: Treat Gum Disease for Better Overall Health
Nearly everyone knows the obvious consequences of gum and bone disease – bad breath, swollen and/or inflamed gums that bleed when brushing and flossing, loose teeth and/or bone loss that ultimately causes you to lose your teeth.
Defending the Health of Your Smile with Periodontal Treatment
At Foothills Dental Centre, we have a variety of periodontal treatments to that we use to treat gum disease. Treatment options include:
Lasers: Lasers are being used to treat gum disease. The laser kills many of the offending bacteria, removes diseased tissue, and encourages gum reattachment to the teeth. Laser treatment is usually done without local anesthesia.
Root planing: We use ultra-thin tools to smooth the surface of your teeth from debris. In areas where the tooth has separated from the gums, the aim is for the gum to reattach to a cleaned, smooth root surface. When the tooth has a smoother surface, it is more difficult for bacteria and plaque to reattach to the tooth.
Gingival grafts: When the gums have receded or appear to be fragile, it may be necessary to graft a small amount of tissue to the receded gum line. This helps to regenerate gum tissue to cover up the exposed root surface of the tooth to reduce your risk of sensitivity and root caries.
Gingivectomy: In severe cases of gum disease where the gums have pulled away from the teeth and there are deep pockets of bacteria, it may be necessary to remove portions of the diseased gum tissue completely. This is performed under local anesthesia and may be done with a laser to reduce recovery time.
Crown lengthening: This procedure is performed when there is not enough natural tooth surface available to support a filling or a crown. This can occur if a tooth is broken or if a filling falls out of a tooth that is extensively decayed. We remove bone tissue and reveal more of the natural tooth so that the restoration can be supported.
In addition to periodontal therapy, we can provide you with nutritional counseling to help guide you toward healthy choices for optimal gum and tooth health. Your medical history will also be reviewed and we will provide you with information pertaining to any conditions or medication and their possible effects on your oral health. During your dental cleaning (also known as “gum therapy” or periodontal cleaning) we will work with you to identify areas of concern, and provide helpful tips !