Treating & Preventing Periodontal Gum Disease
Everyone’s mouth has bacteria and other particles that can lead to plaque buildup, says Dr. A Heidari here at our dental office in Aptos. Daily brushing and flossing your teeth does help eliminate plaque, but it’s never enough to completely eliminate it. When plaque remains on teeth for too long of a period, it hardens and forms a substance called tartar.
The longer plaque and tartar remain on your teeth, the more harmful that they can become to your oral health. This could lead to gum inflammation and bleeding, a condition commonly referred to as gingivitis. This mild gum disease can often be fixed with regular brushing and flossing, but left untreated it can turn into periodontitis, a much more severe inflammation around the tooth that forms pockets of infection.
The body’s natural response to this infection is to begin breaking down the bones and tissue that keep your teeth in their right place, meaning that without treatment, you could lose your teeth completely.
The first step in controlling these conditions is to gain control over the infections that cause them. In addition to regular flossing and brushing, our dentists may encourage behavioral changes such as drinking less soda and quitting smoking. If symptoms have progressed beyond minor infections, however, other procedures might be necessary.
Non-surgical procedures to treat periodontitis and gingivitis include deep-cleaning techniques like root planing and scaling. Root planing involves the elimination of the tooth’s rougher spots where toxins from bacteria build up. Scaling is the scraping of tartar both above and below your gum line.
If these treatments are not an option for your condition, then periodontal surgery may be necessary. Dr. Heidari will analyze the condition of your mouth and make recommendations based on the level of infection in your tissue.
For more information about periodontal therapy, we encourage you to contact our Aptos dentistry office at 831.688.6531 or email us at Info@CreekViewDentistry.com.