How Do You Treat Gum Disease?

Knowing the dangers of gum disease, you might be more inclined to seek treatment if it develops; but what does that treatment entail? Gum disease is an infection involving bacteria nestled between your gums and teeth. As a result, your gums become inflamed and separate from your teeth, destroying your gums and the underlying jawbone that supports your teeth. Treating gum disease requires thoroughly cleaning bacteria from under your gums and repairing damaged tissue. Depending on the severity of your condition, treatment might also require surgically replacing destroyed gum tissue or lost teeth.

Preemptive Action

The most effective gum disease treatment is prevention. Though the bacteria that cause the infection naturally inhabit your mouth, you can control their growth by practicing good hygiene. Besides brushing and flossing every day, adhere to a strict schedule of dental checkups and cleanings (at least once every six months). Your visit will allow Dr. Maria or Dr. Thanasi Loukas to check for early signs of gum disease, like inflammation and redness, and prescribe appropriate preventive measures, if necessary.

Scaling and Root Planing

The beginning of gum disease, when bacteria overwhelm your gum tissues, is called gingivitis, and until it becomes full-blown gum disease, the infection is often reversible. A routine dental cleaning involves removing bacterial plaque and tartar (calcified plaque) from your teeth’s surface. By contrast, a deep cleaning, or scaling and root planing, describes cleaning bacteria from your teeth roots’ surfaces underneath your gum line. Dr. Loukas will also smooth the root surfaces to discourage bacteria from clinging to them in the future.

Gum Grafts and Dental Implants

Gum disease’s severest form, periodontitis, is the leading cause of adult tooth loss. Gum tissue is irreversibly damaged, and the infection erodes the jawbone underneath it, rendering it incapable of retaining all of your teeth. To treat periodontitis, you may need a surgical gum graft to repair destroyed gum tissue and rebuild your smile’s foundation. If you’ve lost one or more teeth to the disease, then Dr. Loukas will likely recommend replacing them with dental implants after the disease has been resolved.

About Your Park Ridge Dentists:

Dr. Maria and Dr. Thanasi Loukas are highly-skilled restorative, cosmetic, and implant dentists serving the Park Ridge and surrounding Chicago communities. To schedule an appointment, call Loukas General Dentistry today at (847) 696-1919.