Gum Disease Treatment Options - David Wilhite DDS

PLANO, Texas - July 7, 2017 - PRLog -- There are three types of gum disease: Gingivitis, Periodontitis, and Advanced Periodontitis.

There are some treatments available for each type, depending on how advanced the gum disease has become. Only you and your dentist can determine a gum disease treatment program.

Gingivitis Treatment
Gingivitis is the earliest stage of gum disease and is caused by excess plaque buildup. Gingivitis can usually be reversed with daily brushing and flossing, as well as regular cleaning by your dentist. With proper care, you can prevent it from advancing to an incurable form of periodontal gum disease.

Periodontitis Treatment
If gingivitis is not treated, it can advance to the more serious gum disease known as "periodontitis". In periodontitis, gums begin to pull away from the teeth and this forms spaces (called "pockets") that become infected. There are many possibilities for periodontitis treatments; you will need to discuss with your dentist to see what will work best for you.

Nonsurgical Gum Disease Treatment
Your first step in treating periodontitis is a conservative, nonsurgical treatment called scaling and root planing.

Your dentist provides this treatment by scraping and removing the plaque and tartar off of your teeth and root surfaces by scaling, and then smoothing away any roughness on the roots to prevent bacteria from gathering again. This may take more than one visit and a local anesthetic can be used to prevent any discomfort. After this process, the gums will heal and reattach themselves to the healthy, clean surfaces of the teeth. Within a few weeks, your dentist will evaluate your healing and decide if further treatment is necessary.

Pocket Reduction Gum Disease Treatment
After scaling and root planing, if the gum tissue is not fitting snugly around the tooth and you can't keep the deep pocket area clean, you may be a candidate for periodontal pocket reduction or flap surgery. By folding back the gum tissue, your dentist can remove infectious bacteria and smooth areas of damaged bone, allowing the gum tissue to reattach to healthy bone.

Gum Graft Treatment
Exposed roots due to gum recession can be covered with gum grafts, wherein gum tissue is taken from your palate or from another source and used to cover the roots of one or more teeth. Covering exposed roots helps reduce sensitivity and protects your roots from decay while stopping further gum recession and bone loss.

Regenerative Procedures
Bone grafting is a surgical procedure that promotes the growth of bone in an area where bone has been destroyed by periodontal disease. During this treatment, your dentist will eliminate bacteria and then place either natural or synthetic bone in the area of bone loss, along with tissue-stimulating proteins to help your body effectively regrow bone and tissue.

Maintenance
Careful home care is the key to keeping periodontal disease from rearing its ugly head. The care you give to your teeth after treatments will be critical and it's likely your dentist will dedicate time to making sure you understand proper brushing, flossing, and dental routines.

Visit us at http://wilhiteplanodentist.com/periodontal-gum-disease-tr... (http://wilhiteplanodentist.com/periodontal-gum-disease-tr...) to view more information on gum disease treatment and prevention.

David Wilhite is an experienced dentist in Plano, Texas who takes the comfort of his patients seriously.
Call us at (972) 964-3774 or visit us at http://wilhiteplanodentist.com/contact-us/ to discuss your goals and options for gum disease treatment.