Periodontal Therapy to Resolve Gum Disease Comfortably and Precisely

It is not cast in stone that we must lose our teeth as we age. If you combine routine oral hygiene with professional dental cleanings and examinations, the chances are that you can keep your natural teeth for life. This care isn’t only restricted to the teeth but the surrounding structures too: the gum and tooth-supporting bone. Unfortunately, with a little slip-up in your dental care, gum disease can compromise these structures, and that’s why Dr. Meredith Levine in Century City, California, insists you keep your eyes peeled for this common yet severe oral condition.

Gum Disease Explained

Poor oral hygiene leads to the formation of plaque that encourages bacteria to become lodged between the gums and teeth. If you don’t remove plaque with at-home oral care, it becomes tartar making it hard to remove. Unless a dentist removes the tartar, it harbors bacteria that continue to invade your gums and teeth.

In the early stages, gum disease can be reversed by diligently brushing and flossing your teeth combined with dental cleanings. However, if the disease isn’t treated, it infects the tooth-supporting structures, and here it’s too late to reverse the condition, but it can be managed.

Symptoms of Gum Disease

Infected gums are often red and puffy and may easily bleed when brushing. The other symptoms of gum disease include:

• Pain while chewing
• Sensitive teeth
• Chronic bad breath
• Receding gums
• Loose teeth

Gum Disease Treatment

The first step to fight gum disease is encouraging oral hygiene habits and dental cleanings. If these methods don’t work, we may recommend other periodontal treatments. These include:

• Deep cleaning: Scaling and planing techniques remove tartar and plaque on your teeth and gums, discouraging the growth of gum disease.
• Antibiotic therapy: Topical and oral antibiotics help keep gum infections in check:
• Gum grafting: where your gums are compromised, healthy tissue is harvested from other body parts to restore lost gum tissue.

Ready to win the battle against gum disease? If you are in Century City, California, or its environs, please dial (424) 358-3811 to book an appointment with Meredith Levine, DDS, Inc., for periodontal treatment.