Your gums help keep your teeth in place, and act as a frame for your smile. Which means healthy gums are the key to a strong and beautiful smile. With periodontal work, we can help manage issues like gum disease, and even offer solutions for tooth loss. In today’s blog, your Shrewsbury, MA, dentist talks about keeping your gums strong!
The Causes of Periodontal Disease
According to studies from the Centers for Disease Control, half of adults ages 30 and older suffer from some stage of periodontal disease. This could be brought on by issues that inflames the gum tissues to cause gingivitis, such as plaque buildup, poor brushing and flossing habits, a diet high in sugar and starch, tobacco use, inflammatory illness, and more. Without treatment, this causes the gums to pull away from the teeth and form deep pockets for disease-causing bacteria to enter. This then causes the disease, and treatment is needed to manage it and avoid tooth loss down the road.
The Common Warning Signs
How do you know when to see us for periodontal work? We may recommend treatment if you have sore, red, and bleeding gums. Swelling in the gums or receding tissues could also be a cause for concerns. Don’t ignore these warning signs, as the disease can grow in severity with time and you run the risk of advanced periodontal disease, known as periodontitis, which can cause loose and missing teeth. Our team will conduct a detailed examination to assess the cause and extent of the issue, so we can plan treatment that helps manage it and protect the health and beauty of your smile at the same time.
Deep Cleanings and More
In the early stages, we may offer a scaling and root planing, also known as a deep cleaning, to help remove harmful buildup from both the teeth and roots, so we can then manage it with traditional cleanings every three to four months moving forward. Using an ultrasonic scaling device and a manual tool, we will remove the buildup carefully. Our team will numb your smile, and the process could take one visit or several, depending on the severity of your buildup.
In addition, we could discuss laser dentistry to remove disease tissues for more advanced cases, doing so gently and comfortably. If you have major recession, gum grafts could be used to cover the exposed portions of the teeth to prevent your smile from tooth decay and even cases of infections.
Dental Implants
What if you have lost teeth due to the disease? Then our team wants to help! We can offer care to manage the disease and protect your smile, so we can move forward with dental implant placement without fear of failure. Our team will choose the best angles and positions to insert the implant posts, which will act as new roots and stay in place for decades to come, possibly even a lifetime. Once these are in place, we can connect abutments to them and attach crowns for individual ones, or even a full set of dentures if you have multiple posts in your smile. You can then smile with confidence and enjoy a lifelike and durable smile that functions like a natural one.
Better Care at Home
Along with treatment in our office to manage the issue, we could offer treatment at home to keep your smile strong and healthy. Be sure you brush for two minutes when you wake up and again before bed, and also use a fluoride toothpaste. In the evening before you brush that second time, floss thoroughly between your teeth. These actions remove the stray particles from our foods and drinks that could cause plaque buildup and inflame the gum tissues. Try to eat a healthy diet too, and avoid tobacco products.
Dental Cleanings
Be sure you see our team every six months too! A simple dental cleaning enables us to remove all plaque and tartar to better manage your gum health and fight issues like disease. If you have the disease already, then could offer one every three to four months to keep your smile whole and healthy. If you have any questions about how we diagnose and treat issues like periodontal disease then contact our team today to get started. We want to help you enjoy a whole and beautiful smile for years to come!
Start Your Periodontal Treatment with Our Shrewsbury Team!
Our team wants to help your gums stay strong and healthy, so you avoid issues like tooth loss. To learn more about our periodontal treatments or to schedule your next appointment, give us a call at Modern Dentistry Of Shrewsbury at (508)842-8838 today!
