GUM DISEASE & TREATMENT

As gum disease advances from gingivitis to periodontitis, your gums loosen to get away from the toxins in the plaque and calculus (tartar). This allows bacteria to travel even farther below the gumline. When you get to that point, you need a deep cleaning.

Gum disease can lead to heart disease

Gum disease leads to heart disease. Bacteria that makes your gums sensitive and swollen can cross into your bloodstream, hurt your arteries and cause inflammation in your heart!

Gum disease can lead to tooth loss

Your teeth will become loose as gum disease progresses. Left unchecked, your teeth may be become so loose that we have to remove them. Or, they may fall out on their own.

Swollen gums (aka Gingivitis)

Gingivitis — sensitive, swollen gums that bleed easily — is the first stage of gum disease. Bleeding while brushing or flossing is a sign of gum disease and means that your gums are not healthy. The good news? Getting dental cleanings can help stop gingivitis before it does permanent damage.

From Gingivitis to Periodontitis

Without treatment, your gums will pull away from your teeth, forming pockets. Plaque loves to stay in dental pockets which can quickly become infected. Bacteria and your body’s attempt to fight them can break down the bone and ligaments that hold your teeth in.

What are some risk factors for gum disease?

• Tobacco and alcohol use
• Systemic diseases
• Genetics
• Pregnancy

In addition, the following types of prescription drugs may also increase the risk of gum disease. Talk with your dentist if you are taking:

• Steroids
• Cancer therapy drugs
• Oral contraceptives
• An anti-epilepsy drug
• A calcium channel blocker

What we can do (how deep cleaning is done)

First, we numb your gums

Often, we l use a local anesthetic so you don’t feel any pain while he/she does the deep cleaning.

We scale the roots of your teeth

Your dentist scrapes away all of the plaque and tartar, just like in a normal cleaning. But during deep cleaning, she scrapes down below the gumline. Your dentist will plane — or smooth — your teeth’s roots. Smoothing your roots encourages your gums to snuggle back up to your teeth.

We irrigate to flush away bad bacteria

We will use a special device to flush that area between your teeth and gums with an antimicrobial medication to help eliminate as much bacteria as possible.

We might apply local antibiotics

Your dentist applies a strong antibiotic called Arestin® to your gums to stop any infections. Arestin can stay active for up to four weeks, and since it goes directly on your gums, it doesn’t have the side effects of antibiotics in pill form.

Perio Protect trays can help gums stay healthy

Your dentist may have you start using Perio Protect, an in-home gum treatment that helps reduce bacteria that causes gum disease.

Click here to learn about Perio Protect

PERIO PROTECT

 

 

 

With the coronavirus outbreak, treatment for inflammation and prevention of infection and disease is more important than ever. Your body can only handle so much inflammation and the healthier a person is – the easier it is to fight off other infections, including viral. This is why we take any infectious oral conditions, like gum disease, so seriously!

What is Perio Protect

Perio Protect is an FDA- approved in-home gum treatment that helps reduce bacteria that cause gum disease– without pain, without surgery, without any unnecessary or repetitive invasive procedures.

How does Perio Protect work

Custom-made dental tray directs the prescribed medication to the periodontal pocket and keeps it there long enough to kill the bacteria that cause inflammation and infection of your gums. Perio Protect trays are comfortable and easy to use. To keep you healthy it is important to continue using these trays.

Is Perio Protect effective

Electron microscope scans show that after JUST 17 days of Perio Protect treatment, 99.98% of the gum disease-causing bacteria were eliminated.

With Perio Protect system to our patients can protect their smiles, and may even protect their general health too. 

For more information, call the office at (760) 306-4466 or visit the Perio Protect website at www.PerioProtect.com