Gum Disease Treatments

Periodontal maintenance cleanings
Benefits of periodontal maintenance cleanings are tartar removal, aesthetics, and fresher breath.  It is recommended every 3-4 months for patient who has a history of severe gum disease.

Periodontal maintenance is an important dental treatment for halting progression of periodontal disease. Periodontal disease occurs when bacteria from plaque colonize on the gums above or below the gum line. These bacterial colonies cause serious inflammation which in turn produce a chronic inflammatory response in the body.

Benefits of periodontal maintenance:

Tartar removal – Tartar buildup above and below the gum line, causing gum problems if left untreated. The experienced eye of a dentist using specialized dental equipment is necessary to find and treat tartar/plaque buildup.

Aesthetics – It’s difficult to be confident about your smile when you have yellowing, stained teeth. Maintenance eliminates unsightly stains and returns your former beautiful smile.

Fresher breath – Periodontal disease can be identified by bad breath or halitosis, caused by a combo of rotting food below the gum line, potential gangrene from gum infection, and periodontal problems. The removal of plaque and bacteria noticeably alleviates irritation and improves breath. Identification of health issues – Many health problems present themselves to the dentist before your doctor. The dentist is able to screen for oral cancer, evaluate the risk of periodontitis and often spot signs of diabetes and kidney problems.

Deep cleaning - is called scaling and root planing. Deep cleaning is done if your dentist determines that you have plaque & calculus under the gums that needs to be removed.

Antimicrobial therapy to eliminate bacteria - uses medications to kill bacteria in the gums.