Our experts here at Geelan Dental Care offer periodontal care services. The word periodontal refers to the area around the tooth with periodontal disease being one of the most common tooth problems you may face. The disease affects the bone and gums supporting the teeth. The buildup of plaque and tartar begins to irritate the bone and gums leading to the reddening, swelling, and bleeding of gums. It is a major cause of tooth loss.
Good periodontal care can help prevent you escape the painful experience of periodontal disease. Four out of five people have periodontal disease, which means that there’s a high chance you have it without knowing it since the early stages are usually painless. There is also a potential link between periodontal disease and diseases like bacterial pneumonia, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, and high-risk during pregnancy.
STAGES OF PERIODONTITIS
The first problem of poor periodontal care is the formation of gingivitis, which is caused by plaque and its by-product toxins that irritate the gums, making them inflamed, tender, and likely to bleed. If left unchecked, gingivitis develops into periodontitis as plaque hardens into calculus, causing the gums to start receding and creating deeper pockets between your teeth and gums. You may experience slight to moderate loss of bone. Advanced periodontitis occurs as your teeth lose more support of the bone, gums and periodontal ligament. The continued loosening of the teeth may cause tooth loss and severe bone loss. It is important that you know the processes we undertake when you book an appointment with our clinic.
PERIODONTAL CARE PROCEDURES
Depending on the severity of the development of periodontitis, our team will perform proper care based on these variables. Your teeth will be evaluated for periodontal disease and the appropriate treatment recommended.
If caught at the early gingivitis stages, our team will recommend one to two regular cleanings. Special instructions will be supplied on how to improve your daily habits of oral hygiene and dental cleanings. More advanced stages will require special cleaning, including scaling and deep cleaning or root planing. Normally, our team performs this procedure one quadrant at a time focusing on the area that is still numb.
The specialist will remove plaque, tartar, and toxins from below and above the gum in a scaling procedure and smoothen rough spots observed on the root surface. The procedure will help your gum tissues to undergo a speedy healing process and the pockets to shrink. An electric toothbrush, medicated mouth rinse, and medicine will be recommended to help the healing process and control of infections.
Our team of professionals may recommend periodontal surgery if the pockets fail to heal after the scaling and root planing procedures. Surgery may be necessary to reduce the depth of the pockets so that cleaning becomes easier. An additional procedure may be required to ensure that the gums and bones support your teeth properly.
Call our dental specialists here at Geelan Dental Care at (503) 223-1322 today for more information about periodontal care.