While the gums may not seem important, they play a crucial role in oral health. Your body relies on them to support and protect your teeth, ensuring your whole smile stays strong. It’s for this reason that our practice offers gum disease treatment here in Sparta. Through that option, Drs. Cannon and Shahinian can keep your gums vibrant for many years to come. Learn more about it by reading below or book a consultation with us!
Gum Disease Treatment – Sparta, NJ
Solutions for Bleeding & Sensitive Gums
Why Choose Gentle Dentistry Sparta for Gum Disease Treatment?
- Relaxing, Spa-Like Atmosphere & Amenities
- Advanced Treatments for Periodontal Disease
- Warm, Friendly, and Highly-Experienced Team
What is Gum Disease?
Gum disease is an infection of your gums – the soft tissues that surround your teeth. It tends to occur as plaque builds up in your mouth, often due to poor eating and bad oral hygiene. That said, the condition also has several other big risk factors: genetics, tobacco use, hormone changes, etc.
In general, gum disease develops in two different (yet similar) stages. The earlier phase is gingivitis, a mild inflammation of the gums. On the other hand, the second stage is periodontitis – a severe infection that directly attacks your jaw and gum tissues. Gingivitis is reversible with proper oral care, but periodontitis can only be managed at best.
Symptoms of Gum Disease
Since gum disease occurs in two stages, it can cause a wide range of symptoms. A patient's signs will depend on the infection’s severity and progress.
Look at gingivitis, for example. The common symptoms of this type of gum of gum disease are:
- Gum tenderness
- Gum recession
- Red, bleeding gums
- Swollen gums
- Halitosis (i.e., chronic bad breath)
In contrast, periodontitis symptoms are harsher and have a greater impact. They include:
- A shift in your bite
- Loose permanent teeth
- Tooth sensitivity (often due to gum recession)
- Chewing pain
- Permanent tooth loss
- Changes in your restoration’s fit
How Do We Treat Gum Disease?
Ahead of your treatment, our team will assess your mouth to learn the severity of your condition. We’ll then use the findings to suggest proper treatment options, such as:
Scaling & Root Planing
Our office can usually treat (or even reverse) gum disease with scaling and root planing. For this treatment, we perform a dental “deep cleaning” of your gums and the roots of your teeth. The initial ‘scaling’ removes plaque from beneath the gum line, while root planing smooths out your tooth roots. That smoothing work is especially crucial, as it lets your gums reattach to your teeth healthily. It also helps them heal faster and reduces the risk of re-infection!
Arestin® Antibiotic Therapy
If you need more than scaling and root planing, we’ll likely suggest getting Arestin® antibiotic therapy. This option applies Arestin® – a powerful and powdery medicine – to your infected gums after an initial periodontal cleaning. That way, tiny microspheres can spread an antimicrobial agent that kills the gum disease bacteria! Once this antibiotic has dried and dissolved for a few days, your gums should look and feel much better than before.