Periodontal Therapy – Westfield, NJ
Revitalize Your Gums to Protect Your Smile
Healthy gums play a significant role in your dental health. When you don’t brush or floss properly, you can develop gum disease, a serious condition that causes tooth loss and has been linked to diabetes, heart disease, and other illnesses. Thankfully, Dr. David Weinman can detect and treat gum disease in the early stages as well as when you need more advanced care. Please contact our Westfield, NJ location today if you have any questions for our team, or if you’re ready to schedule an appointment to protect your periodontal health.
What Causes Gum Disease?
Also known as periodontal disease, gum disease occurs when plaque is allowed to form on your teeth and gums and isn’t removed in time. Plaque can eventually harden into tartar, a bacteria-filled substance that’s very difficult to remove. The longer that plaque and tartar stay in your mouth, the greater the risk of bacteria attacks on your teeth and gums. Eventually, bacteria can irritate and inflame your gums, leading to the mildest form of gum disease, otherwise known as gingivitis.
It is possible to reverse gingivitis with professional cleaning and good home oral care. If these steps aren’t taken, however, then the continued inflammation of the gums will eventually lead to periodontitis, a much more serious form of gum disease. The gums will start to pull away from the teeth, forming pockets that fill with plaque, tartar, and bacteria. Untreated periodontal pockets can contribute to the loss of tissue and bone, and eventually, your teeth might start to come loose. Treating gum disease promptly is crucial if you want to avoid tooth loss.
Symptoms of Gum Disease
The early symptoms of gum disease are often so mild that you might overlook them altogether, which is why you need to keep up with your regular dental appointments if you want to have the condition caught as early as possible. That said, there are some signs that can potentially warn you of gum disease, such as:
- Swollen or puffy gums
- Gums that bleed easily or feel tender when touched
- Bad breath that doesn’t go away even after brushing your teeth
- Pus forming between your teeth and gums
- One or more permanent teeth becoming loose
- Experiencing pain while biting and chewing
- New spaces forming between your teeth
- Teeth that look longer than normal
Periodontal Therapy Options
We have a number of periodontal therapy options to choose from depending on your situation:
- Scaling and root planing is an in-depth cleaning that removes infectious bacteria from below the gum line and along the rough surfaces of tooth roots. Our team will also smooth the roots to prevent further accumulations.
- Soft tissue laser therapy can eliminate diseased tissue in a very precise fashion while also encouraging the growth of new, healthy tissue in its place.
- Arestin is an antibiotic powder that can be placed directly in the diseased periodontal pocket to stop infection and help heal your gums.