Periodontal Disease Treatment – Homer Glen, IL
Healthy Gums, Healthy Smile, Healthy Body
Gum disease is one of the most common dental problems in the entire world, and in addition to causing red and painful gums, it also puts a person at a much higher risk of developing other severe health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, and dementia. At DeAngelo Dental of Homer Glen, Dr. DeAngelo and our team take the health of your gums very seriously, and should we spot even the slightest sign of this infection, we’ll quickly be able to treat it with thorough periodontal therapy. If your gums feel tender or bleed whenever you brush your teeth, you may already have gum disease, so be sure to contact us today for the treatment you need.
What Is Gum Disease?
Gum disease occurs when the gums become infected. How does this happen? Bacteria found in plaque, the white substance that sticks to your teeth, damage the gum tissue. Unfortunately, this condition may seem small or insignificant at first, but it can quickly progress and actually cause permanent changes to the gums and jawbone and eventually end in tooth loss. Although this disease is common among adults, it can have devastating effects on your overall health without treatment, which is why we strongly encourage getting periodontal therapy as early as possible.
Signs of Gum Disease
At the beginning, gum disease can be easily overlooked, but if you’re paying attention, you can see the signs of onset gum disease. The condition starts with swollen, red gums that bleed with little provocation. In fact, if you see blood while you brush your teeth, it’s usually a symptom of the early stages of periodontal disease. You may also experience perpetual bad breath. Later on, the gums pull back from the teeth, making them appear longer, and form little pockets of trapped bacteria. The infection spreads to the jawbone tissue, causing deterioration. As a result, the teeth can become loose, which can change your bite or even result in tooth loss.
Treatment for Gum Disease
Early on in this condition, you may be able to reverse swollen gums through resuming good oral hygiene at home. Brushing and flossing your teeth every day removes plaque as well as the bacteria responsible for the disease. However, once the plaque hardens, professional help from our team becomes necessary. Here are the treatments we use to take care of the infection and restore your oral health after gum disease.
Scaling & Root Planing
These two treatments are sometimes collectively known as a “deep cleaning,” and they serve as our first line of defense against early-stage gum disease, better known as gingivitis. Their goal is to eliminate the presence of harmful plaque and tartar deposits from your gums and lessen your chances of developing the infection in the future.
The treatment will begin with the scaling portion, in which a member of our team will use an ultrasonic scaler to gently clean away any plaque or tartar located around or underneath your gum line. Then, root planing will be used to gently smooth out the rough surfaces of your teeth’s roots. This will make it much harder for plaque and bacteria to gather on them in the future.
A full deep cleaning treatment can usually be completed over the course of one to a few appointments depending on the extent of your gum disease. We’ll lightly numb the area before starting to make sure you’re comfortable the entire time.
Antibiotic Therapy
Although manually removing the plaque buildup on teeth goes a long way to addressing the infection, microscopic bacteria can remain in areas we cannot see. In addition to scaling and root planing, we may also prescribe antibiotics to get rid of any hidden pockets. Most often, this entails applying a topical cream to your teeth, but oral antibiotics may also be used, depending on your situation. By attacking bacteria on multiple fronts, we can start the healing process and get the infection under control.
Soft Tissue Laser
Lasers were first introduced to dentistry in the mid-90s, and today, they allow our team to perform a multitude of treatments with much more accuracy and precision while limiting any discomfort a patient might feel.
Our soft tissue laser is specifically designed to help us effortlessly treat and eliminate gum disease. It uses a highly concentrated beam of light to quickly kill the bacteria that cause gum disease. It can also be used to painlessly remove any infected tissue as well. This tool is so advanced that it is able to do this while leaving all of the healthy surrounding tissue alone, which reduces any pain a patient might feel before or after the procedure. It’s also able to cauterize blood vessels as it works, meaning a patient likely won’t experience any bleeding. Plus, it creates very little heat or noise, providing an overall pleasant patient experience that is able to consistently deliver dramatic results.
How to Maintain Gum Health
The best approach to take for your gum health is a preventive one. In other words, the best way to defend your smile against gum disease is to avoid it in the first place. The good news is that it isn’t that difficult to prevent periodontal disease. Through daily brushing and flossing, you can keep plaque from building up on your teeth and protect your gums from infection. Equally important, you need to come visit Dr. DeAngelo at least every six months for professional cleanings and checkups as well, so we can address any issues as quickly as possible.