Did you know that your gums are an indicator of your dental health? This tissue is what forms the barrier between your mouth and your body and f your gums are sore and bleed very easily, it could be an indiciation that you have gum disease.
Gum therapy is the process we use to treat gum disease(periodontal disease). Like we mentioned above signs of gum disease include bleeding, sore gums and bad breathe. If left untreated, periodontal disease can also cause significant loss of the spongy bone that holds your teeth in place, ultimately leading to loss of your teeth.
In fact, periodontal disease untreated by gum therapy is the leading cause of tooth loss.
Gum therapy is identified in several stages, the first being Gingivitis. This can be cured with relative ease using non surgical treatment and better home care. More advanced cases of gum disease require more intensive courses of gum therapy.
To measure the health or your gums, a thin device is gently slid between your gum and your tooth and each tooth is measured in six areas in relation to the gum line. If the area measures deeper than 3 a deep cleaning may be recommended.
The deep cleaning process is called scaling and root planning. This removes the plaque and tarter from between the teeth and gum pockets. As dental procedures go, it’s relatively painless and in most cases a local anesthetic is given to numb the treatment area. After this type of treatment meticulous home care is needed to provide the best chance of healing and preventing of future gum problems.
During the course of gum therapy we may prescribe antibiotics and a mouth rinse to aide in killing the bacteria associated with gum disease.
We will recommend seeing you for follow up 4 times a year instead of the regular 2 times. This helps us keep you informed of your progress and prevents relapsing of your original condition. If the treatment we have provided for you isn’t successful you may be referred to a specialist for further treatment.
To learn more about gum therapy treatments or to schedule an appointment, contact our office at (513) 896-1573.