Periodontal Therapy

Gentle & Effective Care to Keep Gums Healthy

Your gums may not be the first thing you notice when you smile, but they are still very important! In fact, maintaining healthy gum tissue is essential for keeping your teeth firmly in place and protecting your overall health. If bacteria and plaque collect below the gumline and infect the tissue, a condition called periodontal (gum) disease can decay your tooth’s roots, damage your jawbone, and cause serious health concerns. Thankfully, Dr. Christy Savas offers gentle and effective care to keep gums healthy by way of periodontal therapy. If you’re concerned about puffy, bleeding, or otherwise unhealthy gums, don’t hesitate to get in contact with us today!

What Is Gum Disease?

Gum disease is a common oral health condition where the gum tissue becomes inflamed and infected. It’s most often caused by inadequate flossing, poor brushing, and other bad oral hygiene habits that allow plaque, tartar, and bacteria to accumulate by the gums. The earliest stage, gingivitis, can be easy to accidentally miss since it only causes minor symptoms, such as:

• Red or puffy gums
• Gums that bleed easily, especially when brushing or flossing

Thankfully, gingivitis can be treated and reversed with better dental habits and regular visits to our office. However, leaving it untreated can lead to periodontitis, the more advanced stages of gum disease. This stage often causes:

• Gum recession, which can make the teeth look longer
• Persistent bad breath
• Change in your bite
• Sensitivity in the gums
• Loose teeth

Why Is Gum Disease So Serious?

Well over half of the US population has some level of gum disease. Thankfully, most cases are still in the gingivitis stage, which can be treated and fully reversed with the right care. However, since the early signs of gum disease can be so easy to overlook, many people don’t seek treatment right away. This could potentially allow gingivitis to progress into periodontitis, which cannot be reversed.

In its later stages, the dangerous bacteria at the root of gum disease can permanently damage the gums, jawbone, and connective tissues that help hold the teeth in place. Advanced gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in the US. Plus, researchers have found an undeniable connection between gum disease and risk of serious overall health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and memory loss. The sooner you visit us for a gum health check and any necessary periodontal treatment, the more likely you are to avoid these serious complications.

Keeping Gums Healthy with Periodontal Therapy

If you’re concerned about the health of your gums, come see us right away. We’ll work with you to come up with the best treatment plan to keep gum disease at bay and protect your healthy smile. Sometimes, you may simply need to practice better oral hygiene habits or use specialized dental products. In more extensive cases, we may recommend scaling and root planning.

Scaling and root planning is essentially a deep cleaning of your mouth that aims to eliminate any dangerous bacteria and infection in your gums. First, we’ll scale your teeth, wherein we’ll use specialized tools to clean below the gumline between your gums and teeth where bacteria accumulate. Once your smile has been cleaned, we’ll begin root planning, where we’ll smooth out the roots of your teeth. This will make it harder for plaque and bacteria to collect under your gums and prevent reinfection in the future.