For those not alarmed by the gum tenderness or the bit of blood in the spittle when brushing, the more advanced signs of gum disease are generally enough of a wakeup call to prompt them to finally get treated. There’s a lot a periodontist can do for you, especially if you seek treatment sooner rather than later. Even the most severe cases aren’t completely hopeful, thanks to advanced restorative solutions such as dental implants. Take a look at some of the things a periodontist can do with gum disease cases of a range of severities.
Scaling and Root Planing
Take the standard teeth cleaning procedure a few steps further, and below the gum line, scaling and root planing is commonly referred to as a “deep cleaning.” This duo of procedures entails “scaling” tartar from the teeth, removing it from the surfaces of teeth both above and below the gumline.
Root planing entails smoothing the surfaces of the roots in order to help the gums adhere uniformly to the roots of teeth. Root planing also helps remove bacterial pockets the form between the teeth and gums as the gums pull away from the teeth as a result of gum disease.
Laser Gum Surgery
Gum disease doesn’t just inflame the gums and attack the teeth, it also starts to eat away at the gum line if left untreated. To stop the spread of gum disease, your dentist may recommend minimally invasive laser gum surgery.
Using a highly-focused dental laser, your dentist can carefully and accurately eradicate diseased gum tissue while leaving healthy areas intact. Bleeding is minimal and the recovery period is relatively short as well.
Dental Implants
Even if you’ve lost all of your teeth to gum disease, there’s still hope through dental implants. Dental implants take design cues from natural teeth. Like the roots of natural teeth, dental implants are embedded in the jawbone where they fuse with the bone over time. They provide a reliable, long-lasting foundation to which you can anchor replacement teeth: dental crowns, dental bridges and specialized dentures.
Talk with a Periodontist in Traverse City, MI
Take a moment to schedule a consultation with a local periodontist in Traverse City, MI to learn more about your options for gum disease treatment.
