Periodontal Treatment

Periodontal disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults.  Proper treatment early-on combined with careful attention to your oral health can help treat and alleviate the symptoms of periodontal disease.

Everyone knows that good oral health is a key factor for good overall health. Unfortunately, studies show that regardless of how well you try to take care of your dental health, three of every four Americans will suffer from some sort of oral health problem throughout the course of their lives.  Those with poor oral health are far more susceptible to advanced health issues caused by oral health issues such as periodontal disease. You might know it more commonly as gum disease, something that plagues those who do not properly care for their oral health by regularly brushing, flossing and visiting the dentist. If your gums are not smooth, firm and a lovely shade of pink, there could be some underlying issues that are causing your gums to become diseased. It might be an issue in the bacterial levels of your mouth or something more centrally located to the poor health of one or more teeth.

The Various Stages of Periodontal Disease

Everything you do on a daily basis introduces bacteria into your mouth. From biting your nails to using your teeth to open a pack of gum that you can’t get with your fingers, to not brushing long enough before bed or after you wake up in the morning. Even the act of breathing allows bacteria into your mouth. Unless you manage your bacteria correctly, it’s often difficult to maintain good oral health.

From gingivitis to Periodontitis, the team at Vestal Dental Associates can handle all types of bacteria that may be having a negative impact on the health of your gums. From handling the progression of your oral health issues to helping prevent the beginning of these issues with good oral health care, proper dental care and education, we can help you address any perodontal issues you may be experiencing, before, during and after they’ve become a problem.

How Our Dentists Treat Periodontal Disease

The good news for anyone suffering from gum disease is that the most common method of treatment does not involve any sort of surgical procedure. It’s referred to quite commonly as scaling and cleaning. It involves a local anesthetic that will prevent you from feeling what is happening in your mouth, and it’s designed to remove plague and bacteria from places typical cleanings and everyday brushings do not handle.

Using a laser and ultrasonic tools, our dentists will remove any of the diseased gum that is needed, and will continue the process to kill bacteria that is in and around diseased gums. Your gums are then given a fresh chance to heal and become healthy again. Healthy gums are then encouraged to grow back thanks to the absence of bacteria, and good oral health becomes more achievable.

This type of treatment is handled by the dentists at Vestal Dental Associates and the entire process is performed in our office and followed-up on as necessary. Once you’ve been successfully treated, we will help you come up with a schedule for regular cleanings and a plan you can use at home to keep your gums healthy and feeling great. The better you keep your teeth cleaned, the less likely you are to suffer from gum disease again in the future.  More careful brushing, more careful flossing and more careful caring for issues you might find you have in your mouth make it far easier for you to handle your oral gum disease. Good oral care at home makes it more difficult for periodontal disease to come back and present itself again, which is a good way for you to go ahead and ensure good health continues.

Warning Signs of Periodontal Disease

How Does Gum Disease Develop?

Plaque is often the main culprit in gum disease. When you have plaque on your teeth, it needs to be removed by brushing, flossing and scheduling regular cleanings with your dentists to remove plaque from places in your mouth which are difficult to reach at home.  When plaque is left on teeth, it causes issues. These issues might include bacteria making a permanent home on teeth and causing toxins that make gums hurt and bleed. This can lead to further issues such as swelling and redness. As the plaque becomes more prominent on the gums, it hardens. As it hardens, it causes your gums to separate from your teeth which is known as periodontal disease.

This is where the real problem begins. When your gums are no longer attached to your teeth, there is plenty of space for bacteria and other germs to get down into those crevices and cause you to become even more ill. As these gaps become deeper, more prominent health problems begin to occur and other issues become problematic. As the bone becomes smaller and is lost thanks to the plague and bacteria buildup, it becomes more likely that your teeth will need to be removed. As this occurs, other health issues begin to occur. It’s a never-ending cycle that can be so easily prevented with regular oral health care and visits to our offices.

Who is Susceptible to Gum Disease?

Not everything in your mouth is considered harmful bacteria. In fact, some of the bacteria in your mouth is actually quite helpful and can have many health benefits. What you need to know about gum disease is that it’s not something that is typically caused by someone who skipped brushing their teeth once or twice or by someone who doesn’t brush long enough. While there are more factors to consider when it comes to periodontal disease, you should also know that there are several genetic dispositions, diseases and lifestyle choices which make some people far more likely to develop this health issue than others.

Again, this is not a guarantee that you will have gum disease at any point in your life. However, if you suffer from any of the above mentioned issues, chances that you might develop this particular health issue increase significantly.

Why Seek Treatment for Periodontal Disease?

Unfortunately, not everyone who suffers from gum disease experiences any type of signs or symptoms. Some live with it without even knowing, which is why regular visits to the dentist are so mandatory and necessary.

If you are unsure whether or not poor oral health is as bad as it sounds, you should know that gum disease is linked to a number of other health issues that might encourage you to take care of the problem before it starts. Those who live with oral health issues are more likely to develop the following health issues:

Schedule a Consultation for Your Child

The best way to create a plan of treatment and alleviate the symptoms of periodontal disease to schedule a consultation with our dentists. We’ll review your family history, discuss your state of periodontal disease and come up with a treatment plan that combines therapy at our office with special care you’ll take at home. Call (607) 785-3339 or fill out the form on this page to set up your consultation today.