Periodontal Disease Diagnosis and Treatment
Do your gums look inflamed or bleed when brushing your teeth? Do your gums hurt when chewing or taking cold or hot foods? Gum disease could be the one to blame, and you shouldn’t take it lightly. Gum disease is a severe condition that damages your gums and can cause tooth loss and bone atrophy. Worse yet, the infection can seep into the bloodstream, damaging your key organs!
If you suspect gum disease, it’s time to schedule an appointment with Carolinas BioHealth Dentistry for treatment.
How we diagnose gum disease
Gum disease occurs when plaque — a sticky film of bacteria — is left to accumulate in your mouth. When plaque isn’t removed, it hardens into tartar, which a dentist can only remove. Plaque and tartar contain harmful bacteria that inflame your gums and cause your gums to pull away. Autoimmune and systemic health conditions can also lead to gum and bone loss even without the presence of plaque or tartar.
How is gum disease diagnosed? Other than the subtle signs of swollen and bleeding gums, gum disease can easily slip through your fingers because it causes no pain. However, your dentist can easily diagnose gum infection during periodic dental exams.
Dentists use a dental probe to measure the depth between your gums and teeth (sulcus). Healthy gums shouldn’t have a sulcus deeper than 2-3mm. So, if your pockets are deeper than 3mm, that’s a sign of gum disease. We can scrutinize the condition further by using dental digital films to establish the extent of bone loss.
Treating gum disease
The early form of gum disease (gingivitis) can be reversed by diligently brushing and flossing your teeth alongside dental cleanings. However, if you have mild to moderate gum disease, Dr. Tyler Wynne may recommend the treatments below:
- Root scaling and planing: Deep cleaning may sound scary, but it isn’t. This two-step procedure uses anesthesia and usually involves scraping plaque and tartar below and above your gums. Then, we smoothen your roots to encourage the re-attachment of healthy gums to the teeth.
- Non-surgical biological periodontal therapy: using ozone therapy for either individual teeth or the entire mouth exposes the harmful bacteria deep under your gums to oxygen which kills the bacteria and promotes gum health and bone support around the teeth.
If you have full-blown periodontitis, the above procedures may not be enough to restore your gum health. You may need periodontal grafting services to overcome gum disease.
Gum disease diagnosis and treatment in Clemmons, North Carolina
If you have gum disease, the earlier it’s treated, the better the prognosis. Suspecting gum disease? Don’t wait any longer. Instead, please book an appointment with Carolinas BioHealth Dentistry for biological periodontal care by calling (336) 793-0577.
