Gum Disease

Periodontal, or gum, disease is an illness that can overrun your mouth before you know it. You may not know as much about it as you need to. In order to prevent or treat it, you need to know a little bit about this disease so you can practice awareness. We want to approach this topic with you so that, if necessary, you know how it works and how it is treated by dental professionals.

What is Periodontal Disease?

Let’s talk about gum disease.

The word periodontal means relating to or affecting the structures surrounding and supporting the teeth. In layman’s terms, this means your gums and jaw. Gum disease begins as plaque and then it begins to harden and form tartar. As the tartar builds, it begins to harbor bacteria that infects the soft tissue of your gums and becomes gingivitis. It will then transform into periodontal disease which can wreak havoc on your teeth, bone, and soft tissue. This will cause you to begin losing teeth.

While losing teeth is certainly drastic, it is not the only serious consequence. Gum disease will severely weaken your immune system, which will spell trouble if you are at risk for other illnesses or pregnant. We highly suggest you watch out for this and treat it immediately if you’ve been diagnosed with it.

How to Treat Periodontal Disease

We want your teeth and gums feeling healthy again

There are a few ways we can treat your gum disease at Gentle Dental. Let’s talk a little bit about each of these options so you can have a better idea of what to be prepared for. Remember, you should listen to what your dentist recommends over what the internet recommends. They are trained medical professionals who know how to best navigate your dental issues.

Scaling and Root Planing

This is the cleaning of the root of the tooth to remove plaque and tartar build-up. This is completely non-surgical and followed up with antibiotic treatments. If this option is available to you, we suggest you take it, because it is the least invasive and probably the least frightening.

Gum Graft Surgery

During this process, your dentist uses soft tissue from the roof of your mouth to repair your gum tissue. This way, you can have healthy gums in the needed area. They may have receded during infection.

Dental Crowns

A crown is done by placing a cap over the top of your tooth, usually after a root canal. This cap can be porcelain, gold, resin-based, or something similar. This prevents further infection from reaching the root and pulp of your tooth.

Dental Implants

These are false teeth implanted to help you recover from a number of ailments. If you need implants after your gum disease treatment, Gentle Dental has them available.

Contact Gentle Dental

In order to schedule an appointment with us, fill out our contact form here or call one of our many Texas locations. We are standing by to get you started on your dental journey. Call us today!