If you have periodontal disease, then you need care to manage the disease and prevent the onset of serious discomfort, or even the loss of your teeth! With treatments like scaling and root planing, or even gum grafts, we can help manage the concern. In today’s blog, your Celina, TX, dentist talks about keeping smiles whole with periodontal care.
The Causes of Periodontal Disease
What causes gum disease to develop? The trouble starts when your gums become inflamed, an issue known as gingivitis. This could be caused by plaque and tartar buildup. These layers form on the teeth due to factors like high amounts of sugar and starch in your diet, as well as improved brushing and flossing or infrequent visits for cleanings to remove the buildup. Tobacco use could be a factor too! Other possible causes include a family history of the issue, inflammatory illnesses such as diabetes, and even the use of certain medications.
Warning Signs and Complications
How do you know you need to seek treatment for your periodontal concerns? With gingivitis and the early stages of the disease, you could encounter sore and red gums that bleed easily. As the issue increases in severity, you could experience swelling in the tissues. For some, recession could occur that makes teeth appear long or uneven. Don’t ignore any changes to your smile, instead contact our team for a diagnosis to see if you need treatment. We can then provide care to manage the issue and prevent the stage known as periodontitis, the stage linked to adult tooth loss!
Deep Cleanings
For many, we could offer a deep cleaning, also known as a scaling and root planing, to bring relief and make the issue manageable with preventive dentistry moving forward. The procedure uses the same tools as a traditional cleaning, only we remove buildup from both the teeth and the roots, and form beneath the tissues too. The process is more involved so we will numb the smile ahead of time, and this could take one visit or several, depending on the severity of your plaque and tartar. After we remove the buildup, we will polish the teeth to make it more difficult for plaque and tartar to accumulate in between your traditional cleanings, which we may recommend happening every three to four months to adequately control buildup and safeguard your periodontal health.
Gum Grafts
What will we do to address your receding gums? To help, our team may recommend surgical gum grafts, in which we place healthy tissues over the portions of the teeth to reshape the gum line and correct recession. Our team will likely take tissues from the roof of your mouth and
attach them to the receded areas. This not only improves the beauty of your smile, but lowers the risk of tooth decay and infection forming in the exposed roots, and helps prevent tooth sensitivity and periodontitis, so you can enjoy full and healthy smiles. The procedure only takes one visit and we will provide detailed aftercare instructions so you can heal quickly and return to your normal routine with a more beautiful and healthier smile!
Better Home Care Habits
Taking better care of your smile at home is also beneficial! With the right steps, you can limit buildup and control inflammation. We suggest limiting how much sugar and starch are in your diet so you avoid feeding harmful bacteria. You should also drink plenty of water to help rinse your smile of food and drink particles, and better safeguard your oral health.
Each day, start your morning by brushing your teeth for two minutes with a fluoride toothpaste and a toothbrush with soft bristles. We suggest doing the same before going to bed each evening. You should also floss each evening to remove the particles of sugar and starch that are between the teeth impossible to remove with brushing alone. You should avoid tobacco products to limit inflammation. Be sure you see our team for routine dental checkups and cleanings too, so we can examine your smile and take action if needed to better protect your gum health and prevent complications like discomfort and tooth loss.
If you have any questions about how our team will diagnose and treat issues like periodontal disease, or if you have sore, red, bleeding, and even receding gums that need attention, then reach out to our office soon. You deserve a full and beautiful smile and we want to make it happen for you!
Celina Family Dentistry Offers Periodontic Care
Our team wants to help you smile with confidence and avoid discomfort and tooth loss. To find out more about improving your gum health, call Celina Family Dentistry in Celina, TX at (214) 851-0130 today.
