Periodontal Therapy – McKinney, TX
Safeguarding Your Oral Health
Healthy teeth begin with healthy gums and Dr. Nidhi Jaiswal and her team are here to help you in controlling and preventing gum disease. Periodontal Disease or gum disease as it is often called is an Inflammation of gums and surrounding bone. Gum disease is caused when a space forms between the gums and teeth due to inflammation caused by bacteria in plaque and tartar buildup which makes the gums loose around the teeth. This causes bleeding and at times some sensitivity to hot and cold with bad breath and recession of gums around teeth.
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Signs & Symptoms of Gum Disease:
- Gums receding or moving away from teeth
- Mild sensitivity on some or all teeth
- Bleeding from gums during brushing or flossing
- Loose or mobile teeth in severe forms of gum disease
- Bad breath or bad taste in the mouth
Treatment of Gum Disease
Treatment for gum disease in mild and moderate cases includes gum therapy or deep cleaning in which the plaque and tartar on the tooth and root surfaces under the gum line are removed. Sometimes in severe gum disease, antibiotics are also placed in the gum area to allow the gums to heal and improve their attachment to teeth. A maintenance visit usually every 3 months is required after the gum therapy which helps in maintaining oral health and preventing worsening of gum disease.
Take our Quiz to see if you are at risk of having gum disease.
Risk Factors for Gum Disease:
- Age - Date from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that over 70 percent Americans 65 and older have a higher risk of having gum disease.
- Systemic Conditions -Medical conditions such as Diabetes and Heart disease are risk factors for risk disease. The bacteria that infect the gums and cause gingivitis and periodontitis also travel to blood vessels in the body where they cause blood vessel inflammation and damage.
- Medications -Certain medications such as heart medications and oral contraceptives effect oral health sometimes increasing the risk of gum disease.
Additional Risk Factors for Gum Disease:
- Smoking and Tobacco Use - Studies have shown that tobacco use may be one of the most significant risk factors in the development and progression of periodontal disease.
- Environmental factors - Poor Diet can compromise body’s capacity to fight infection. Periodontal disease starts as an infection and if the diet is missing important nutrients, the immune system becomes weak and is not able to fight the infection. Inadequate oral hygiene also increases the risk of gum disease due to a collection of plaque and tartar deposits.
- Genetic factors -Research has shown that some people may be more susceptible to gum disease
Scaling & Root Planing
To help patients dealing with periodontal disease, we can perform a specialized dental cleaning called scaling and root planing. It is designed to thoroughly remove any plaque and tartar buildup from below the gum line (scaling) as well as smooth out the rough surfaces of the teeth’s roots (root planing). This treatment makes it much harder for plaque to gather on the roots in the future, lowering a patient’s chances of reinfection. Depending on the extent of a patient’s infection, an SRP cleaning can take from about one to four appointments to complete.
Antibiotic Therapy
After a patient has undergone a periodontal cleaning, Dr. Jaiswal may choose to apply a topical antibiotic to eliminate any remaining bacteria. Once it is placed on the gums, the antibiotic will quickly harden, and then it will slowly dissolve over the next few days. This enables the powerful medicine to reach even the deepest bacteria. Once this process is finished, Dr. Jaiswal will recommend that a patient receive maintenance dental cleanings more frequently to make sure their periodontal disease stays well controlled.