Gum health is just as important to tooth health for many different reasons. For one, healthy gums ensure that your teeth have a stable place to live! That’s precisely why gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in the United States and around the world. Gum tissue that has become tender, red, swollen or sensitive in any way is a sign that you need to visit our dental office right away. We have many forms of periodontal (gum) disease treatment in Mesquite to get your gum health back to normal and prevent future infections from developing.
Our first line of defense against advanced gum disease is scaling and root planing. These are not like professional cleanings because they are intended to remove plaque from areas of teeth that extend below the gum line. By removing calcified plaque (tartar) from these areas, we can stop the progression of gum disease and provide relief. The second phase of treatment is root planing, which is designed to smooth out the tooth roots. The roots begin to detach from teeth as gum disease develops, causing them to become exposed. But root planing promotes reattachment, reducing teeth sensitivity. Keep in mind scaling and root planing takes multiple appointments to complete.
Since we do not want to put your gum tissue in harm’s way while performing periodontal therapy, we ask our patients to undergo scaling, root planing and antibiotic therapy every three to four months. We cannot stress enough how important at-home care is for treatment, but that doesn’t mean we can complete your therapy in a single appointment. Routine follow-up appointments will ensure that your gums are healing as expected and give your gums time to heal in between appointments. We will make adjustments if healing is not going as planned.
We want to maintain as much of your healthy gum tissue as possible when completing treatment, which is why our dental office uses laser dental tools. Stopping gum disease from spreading while maintaining healthy tissue has never been easier thanks to laser dentistry! This highly advanced device not only allows for more precise removal of infected or decayed tissue but heals gum tissue on contact. With faster healing, you spend less time worrying about aftercare and our dental office doesn’t have to use metal dental tools or stitches!