Healthier Gums May Lead to a Healthier You!

DID YOU KNOW THAT YOUR ORAL HEALTH COULD BE AN INDICATOR OF YOU OVERALL HEALTH?

Maintaining good oral hygiene is one of the most important things you can do for your teeth and gums. Healthy teeth not only enable you to look and feel good, they make it possible to eat and speak properly. Good oral health including daily preventive care and regular visits to the dentist are important to your overall well-being. Research has linked periodontal (gum) disease to complications for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, preterm birth, and other health issues.

Oral Hygiene

Following a comprehensive examination, gum measurements which measure the depth that the gums have detached from the side of the tooth forming a pocket (periodontal pocket) will be taken. We will develop a personalized and custom hygiene program for each patient based upon their unique needs and desires. Certain products may be suggested to help with home care.

Sealants

Sealants are used to fill narrow grooves in a tooth that cannot be adequately cleaned by brushing. In some cases, the tooth structure has fine grooves or pits which accumulate plaque, not because the person doesn’t brush, but because they’re too narrow to allow even one bristle into them. To avoid cavities developing over time, the dentist will brush on a coating that seals the grooves and pits, making it possible to brush off all the plaque and keep your teeth healthy.

Periodontal Maintenance

Maintenance or supportive periodontal therapy is an ongoing program designed to prevent periodontal disease from recurring in patients who have undergone periodontal treatment. This ongoing phase of treatment will allow your dentist to assess your periodontal health and make sure infection stays under control. During maintenance therapy, your mouth is examined, new calculus and plaque are removed, and, if necessary your teeth are polished and your bite is checked.

Arestin

ARESTIN (minocycline hydrochloride) Microspheres, 1 mg is an effective antibiotic treatment that comes in powder form. This powder is placed inside infected periodontal pockets just after our dental professional finishes the deep cleaning procedure. This non-surgical gum treatment provides a localized antibiotic treatment over a 21-day period and does not require any removal.

Non-Surgical Gum Treatment

DEEP CLEANINGS, ROOT PLANING, AND DEEP SCALING

Periodontal disease is an infection of the gums and this sometimes silent infection occurs when harmful bacteria grow beneath the gums and create “pockets” spaces or gaps in the gums around the teeth. Left untreated, periodontal bacteria can lead to bone and tooth loss that can threaten your foundation-and overall health.

The gums, ligaments, and bone around the teeth form the foundation for teeth. All structures are also referred to as the periodontium. When the periodontium is not healthy, it jeopardizes the teeth just as a bad foundation would threaten the stability of a house. Signs of unhealthy periodontium include gums that are red and bleed easily, persistent bad breath, gums that are pulled away from the tooth, loose teeth, and changes in the position or bite of the teeth. With proper gum treatments, it may be possible to return gum tissue to a healthy state. If you’re having a problem, come in and see us so we may treat it right away. The treatment usually involves a deep cleaning or root planing done under a local anesthetic, along with local antibiotic agents. It is important to have gum problems checked promptly, as gum disease left alone may eventually need treatment through surgery or extraction. For more information, click here.

What Our Patients Say

TEETH CLEANING