Periodontics involves prevention, diagnostics and treatment for diseases that affect the teeth and gums. Periodontal disease is the primary reason for most cases of adult tooth loss. Without a regular regimen of home oral care and routine professional cleanings, your teeth accumulate plaque that hardens into tartar. This substance feeds bacteria that affect your gums, causing them to become inflamed and painful. They can recede from your teeth, causing even more risk of infection, loose teeth and eventual tooth loss.
Dr. Cory Gaunt and the skilled oral care team at Downriver Smiles provide excellent, advanced treatment for periodontal disease. Sometimes called gum disease, this is a serious problem that can progress quickly without treatment. Most patients that contract gum disease have done so by neglecting good oral hygiene. Regular brushing, flossing and routine professional cleanings are essential to combat periodontal disease.
Even the most strident brusher and flosser cannot reach some areas in the mouth. It is in these areas that plaque builds up and hardens into tartar. Both accumulate and feed bacteria that infects the gum tissue and causes periodontal disease. Caught in its early stages, gum disease can be treated to return you to good oral health. Advanced levels of periodontal disease may require more extensive therapies, and sometimes even surgery.
Scaling and Root Planing
For moderate buildups of plaque and tartar, our hygienist at Downriver Smiles will have to use more vigorous methods of professional teeth cleaning. This includes a procedure called scaling and root planing. Advanced dental tools are used to scrape away all vestiges of tartar and plaque, and then the tooth roots that show are planed to smooth the surface. This allows the gum tissue to reattach as it becomes healthy from periodontal treatment.
You may also be prescribed medications to fight bacteria and infection in the gums. As the gums heal, they reattach to the teeth and irritation subsides. The deep pockets formed by receding gums close, providing less area for bacteria to accumulate and affect your teeth and gum tissue.
Advanced Periodontal Care in Spokane
Sensitive, painful and/or bleeding gums, especially when you brush and floss, are signs of periodontal disease. Schedule an appointment today at Downriver Smiles for advanced-level periodontal treatment in Spokane.
