Periodontal Disease Treatment

Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, is a common problem, yet it causes a lot of damage if left untreated. A dentist’s office can provide periodontal disease treatment to get this problem under control and keep it from progressing.

We offer numerous periodontal dentistry treatments for our patients at Creekside Family Dental.

What Is Gum Disease?

Through a combination of eating and oral hygiene that is not entirely effective, substances known as plaque and tartar can build up on the teeth, especially along the gumline. When this occurs, bacteria is able to thrive and grow under the gums. In time, it leads to symptoms associated with gum disease.

Gum disease starts with the stage of gingivitis. During this stage, you may notice red and swollen gums that can bleed during brushing or flossing. Your gums may feel sensitive.

If the problem progresses, it can turn into the more severe stage of gum disease known as periodontitis. At this point, the bacteria has spread and developed pockets between the gums and teeth. This can cause the gums to move away from the teeth and can ultimately result in damage to the jawbone and loss of teeth.

How Do You Treat Gum Disease?

Our office has numerous treatment methods for preventing and treating gum disease. Ideally, our goal is to prevent gum disease through regular professional cleanings and encouraging our patients to carry out proper oral hygiene routines from home.

If gum disease has begun, we aim to stop it in its tracks in the early stage of gingivitis before it can progress. Treatment during these early stages is easier and more cost-effective for our patients.

Nonetheless, if the gum disease has progressed to periodontitis, our team is knowledgeable and experienced to manage this problem and get your oral health back on track.

We begin with an exam to evaluate whether you have gum disease and, if so, note the extent of the damage. Then, we are able to determine the best treatment option.

Which Gum Disease Treatments Does Your Office Have?

We offer our patients the following treatments to control gum disease:

Professional Cleanings

If the gum disease is in early stages and not too severe, a professional cleaning may solve the problem. Since our practice believes in treating a dental problem with the most conservative approach, we aim to start with this solution if possible.

Your at-home hygiene routine, such as brushing and flossing, is essential to preventing buildup and gum disease. However, this type of care is not always fully effective at reaching every part of the teeth and gums or fully getting rid of buildup. When plaque has turned into the harder substance of tartar, your toothbrush won’t be able to remove it.

At the dentist’s office, our hygienists use tools and techniques that are more effective than brushing and flossing. They provide a deeper clean that removes buildup to give you a fresh start. That’s why regular twice-yearly cleanings are so important. These professional cleanings remove the substances contributing to gum disease to get the problem under control.

Scaling and Root Planing

Dental scaling and root planing are treatment techniques we use when the gums have detached from the tooth roots. We begin with scaling, which involves using specialty tools to remove the built-up plaque and tartar on the teeth and below the gumline. We then clean out the pocket that has developed.

If scaling alone does not solve the problem, we use root planing. This technique involves using a dental tool to smooth the roots of the affected teeth, allowing the gums to heal and reattach themselves.

Come for Regular Visits

The best way to manage gum disease is to come for your regular exams and cleanings. These allow us to keep the problem under control or catch gum disease so we can treat it.

Call our Gahanna, OH office to make your appointment.