Treat Your Gums with TLC to Protect Your Teeth
Although many people assume loss of some teeth is an inevitable part of aging, it’s possible to retain all your natural teeth for life. One of the best ways is to prevent periodontal disease, since it’s the number one cause of tooth loss in adults. Gum disease is an infection of the tissues that hold your teeth in place. Typically, poor oral hygiene habits allow plaque—a sticky film of bacteria—to build up on your teeth. If left untreated, plaque hardens into tartar (calculus) and leads to gingivitis. In time, this can progress to advanced-stage gum disease called periodontitis, which causes bone loss around your teeth.
When bone deteriorates, gum tissue detaches from your teeth and periodontal pockets form that provide an excellent place for bacteria to thrive—in places a toothbrush and floss can’t reach. The good news is that gum disease treatment in St. Charles, IL can help prevent related tooth loss and other health repercussions, even in advanced stages. Our skilled dentist Dr. Rick Brar offers different procedures at Envision A Smile Dentistry, from early-stage gingivitis treatment in St. Charles, IL to advanced periodontitis treatment.
Gum Disease Warning Signs
- Bleeding gums when brushing
- Chronic bad breath
- Red or swollen gums
- Receding gums and tooth sensitivity
- Visible pus caused by a periodontal abscess
- Loose teeth
Targeted Treatment for Gum Disease
Although gum disease is the most common oral condition in the U.S. and impacts up to 75% of adults, periodontitis also affects an estimated 20–50% of the population. Our dentist Dr. Rick Brar has expertise treating every stage of periodontal disease in St. Charles, IL, including more challenging cases, such as patients with complex medical conditions. Through targeted and effective treatment, our dentist will help you overcome gum disease, thereby enabling you to live a more comfortable and healthy life. At Envision A Smile Dentistry, we partner with multiple insurance companies and offer third-party financing, because we don’t think worrying about cost should ever be an obstacle to seeking prompt gum disease treatment. The best way to prevent gum disease is to brush and floss your teeth every day and get routine dental checkups and professional cleanings twice a year. With regular preventive dental care, maintenance and good oral health habits, it’s possible to keep your natural teeth healthy for life!
Personalized Gum Disease Treatments
Osseous Surgery
Osseous surgery is used to reshape deformities and remove pockets in the bone surrounding your teeth that result from a serious gum infection. When you undergo this procedure at Envision A Smile Dentistry, our dentist Dr. Rick Brar numbs the area with a local anesthetic. The affected area is cut to release gum tissue from the bone, thereby allowing access to the bone and roots of your teeth. After the roots are thoroughly cleaned through scaling, we use specialized tools to reshape the bone around your teeth and remove damaged bone, if necessary. In some cases, bone grafting may be required to fill in large defects. Then gum tissue is placed back over the remaining bone and sutured in place. Following surgery, we usually cover the area with a special dressing and prescribe pain medicine and a medicated mouth rinse.
Scaling and Root Planing
During scaling, Dr. Rick Brar removes plaque and tartar on tooth surfaces with an ultrasonic scaler. A built-in irrigation process delivers an antimicrobial agent below the gumline to help reduce bacteria, especially along your tooth roots. Then root planing is done to remove cementum and surface dentin embedded with microorganisms, toxins and tartar. The last step is smoothing the tooth root surface to promote healing and help prevent recurrence of bacteria in this area.
Periodontal Maintenance
In many cases, periodontal maintenance is required after scaling and root planning to keep your gums healthy. Ongoing deep cleanings are designed to prevent further progression of disease in the gum tissue and bone supporting your teeth. The interval between periodontal care visits is determined by factors including your stage of periodontal disease, response to gum disease treatment in St. Charles, IL, plaque rate growth and commitment to good oral hygiene. In general, these visits may be scheduled as often as every few weeks or as infrequently as every six months.
Peri-implantitis Treatment
Poor oral hygiene and/or a lack of regular cleanings can lead to this destructive bacterial gum infection that impacts the area around dental implants. Although the inflammatory process is similar to gum disease, it tends to be more aggressive and invasive. Left untreated, inflammation spreads from the gums to the bone supporting the dental implant root, causing instability, pocket formation and an increased risk of implant failure. Early detection is key to a successful outcome and typically involves infection control, using a laser to detoxify implant surfaces, techniques to regenerate lost tissue and plaque control.
LANAP®
LANAP from Millennium Dental Technologies is the only FDA-approved laser gum disease treatment that delivers true regeneration of gum and bone, with proven, evidence-based results. The PerioLase® MVP-7™ laser enables Dr. Rick Brar to regrow tissues and bone lost to gum disease in a minimally invasive manner. Compared to traditional osseous surgery, the LANAP protocol is more comfortable, decreases postoperative sensitivity and gum recession and lessens downtime after treatment.
Treat Bleeding Gums to Save Your Smile!
Your gums deserve attention, so don’t delay and schedule a visit!
