While a general dentist can take care of most of your dental needs there are times when you are likely to require more specialized care and this is when we can help you here at Envy Smile Dental Spa. A periodontist is a dentist who specializes in treating your gums so if you have any gum problems at all we will make sure that you get the very best and most advanced periodontal care.
Specialized Care for Periodontal Disease and Gummy Smiles
You might find it useful to see a specialist in periodontics if you have problems with a gummy smile, but in particular with periodontal disease or gum disease. Unfortunately we do see a lot of people with gum disease and it can be extremely destructive. One of the earliest symptoms is having gums that bleed or which look swollen and red.
What Is Gum Disease?
Gum disease is a bacterial infection that is normally caused by a lack of oral hygiene which allows plaque to build up over your teeth and gums. The bacteria in plaque produce toxins that cause inflammation and infection in your gums. While this disease initially affects just the gum tissues, it can easily spread to the ligaments and bone surrounding your teeth if it isn’t treated promptly. Eventually it can destroy your gums and the bone around your teeth, causing them to become loose at which stage they may be impossible to save. By seeing a periodontist, you will receive a quick and thorough diagnosis allowing us to personalize your treatment plan for optimal results.
How Can a Periodontist Treat Gum Disease?
The required gum disease treatment at our dental office will depend on the progression of this condition. Mild gum disease or gingivitis can be treated by simply having your teeth professionally cleaned to remove all hardened plaque or tartar. By removing the bacteria in plaque and tartar, we can give your gums a chance to heal and fight the infection. During this appointment we can also point out areas in your mouth that we feel could do with some extra attention whenever you brush and floss and we can help by showing you the very best and easiest techniques to use when brushing and flossing. A scale and polish can be extremely effective, provided you concentrate on improving your oral hygiene routine at home.
Treating Advanced Gum Disease
With more advanced gum disease, our periodontist will often suggest scaling and root planing, a deep cleaning treatment for your gums. This can be very effective if your gum disease has caused gum recession and has resulted in deep periodontal or gum pockets developing in between your teeth and gums. This treatment involves scaling your teeth and any exposed tooth roots and it cleans out the gum pockets. Once all the tartar is removed, your tooth roots are planed or smoothed which makes it harder for bacteria to colonize these smooth surfaces and easier for your gums to heal.
There are also a number of surgical procedures (such as periodontal pocket reduction procedure) that can help treat advanced gum disease and which will help repair some of the damage caused by this condition. If you do have gum disease then you will find we work extremely hard to help control or hopefully eliminate this condition.