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Periodontal disease has become a strikingly common occurrence in dental offices throughout the United States. While proper oral hygiene can help to prevent or slow the progression or even the beginnings of periodontal disease, there are several other factors that can cause you to begin to notice early signs. Fortunately, you don’t have to live with periodontal disease, and you shouldn’t.

Understanding Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease is an infection of the gums and underlying structures to our teeth. The earliest stages are called gingivitis. At this stage, periodontal disease is usually easier to correct and takes less invasive approaches. As the periodontal disease continues, it can have more detrimental effects and be harder to fix.

As the disease becomes more serious, it can shift from just involving the gum tissue, to also involving the underlying bone and periodontal ligament. This can cause damage to the tooth and introduce infection into the body.

Treating Periodontal Disease

There are a number of different approaches to correcting periodontal disease. Fortunately, our professional staff has the knowledge and skill to identify and outline potential treatment options for you. We want to make sure that you understand the treatments that we are proposing. This interaction helps to ensure that patients are involved and proactive in their overall dental health.

Root Planing and Scaling – This procedure is a commonly performed method that is sometimes called deep cleaning. It involves special tools to remove the built-up plaque and tartar that has adhered to the base of the teeth. This buildup can often affect the gums’ ability to properly attach to the teeth and also creates pockets that harbor bacteria and infection. As the roots of the teeth continue to be exposed to bacteria, there is an increased chance of cavities and the spread of infection.

Scaling and root planing help to ensure that the gums can properly reattach to the teeth and eliminates the buildup of bacteria, allowing the gums to heal. Once the gums have healed and reattached, the risk of continued periodontal disease is decreased, and the proper oral hygiene routine can help ensure future success.

Gum Grafts – As periodontal disease progresses, it can damage and destroy a significant amount of gum tissue. When gum tissue damage becomes too significant, there may not be enough tissue to properly allow them to heal. Gum grafting allows us to rebuild the areas around your teeth with healthy tissue. Grafting often uses tissue from the roof of your mouth. This helps to reduce or eliminate the chance of infection or rejection.

Periodontal Laser Surgery – Periodontal laser surgery is a specific type of surgery that helps to remove the damaged gum tissue without affecting the healthy tissue. This procedure utilizes a laser that specifically targets tissue and removes it in incremental layers. The traditional gum treatment required your dentist to use a scalpel when removing tissue. This often resulted in overcutting and damaging healthy tissue. Patients were often subjected to longer healing times and gumlines that now appeared to be too low. Laser therapy helps to correct both of these issues by utilizing the best in dental technology advances.

Dental Implants – If the periodontal disease causes you to lose teeth, one of the most important things that you can do is ensure that you maintain the existing dental structure that you have. Dental implants help to support and rebuild new bone around the implant site. Implants can also help to keep neighboring teeth from shifting, twisting, or even falling out.


If you think that you may have periodontal disease, contact our offices today. Our professional and talented staff can help make sure that your smile is radiant and healthy for years to come.