Treatment Options

If you’ve been diagnosed with gum disease, there are a variety of treatment options depending on the details of your situation and the severity of the problem. We always start with the least invasive options, which are non-surgical. However, in more serious cases, surgery may be necessary.

Non-Surgical Treatment

The first line of defense against gum disease is a unique type of cleaning called “scaling and root planing.” In this procedure, we most often anesthetize your gums so that you are very comfortable while we thoroughly clean beneath your gums.  We use an ultrasonic cleaning device is used to remove plaque and tartar from your teeth where regular cleaning devices can’t reach: under the gum line, on the tooth, and around the root. Then, the rough surface of the tooth and the root are smoothed out (planed). This provides a healthy, clean surface that makes it easier for the gum tissue to reattach to the tooth.

If you address your gum disease before it becomes severe, scaling and root planing may be the only treatment you need. However, as with any dental procedure, after-care is vital. In order to keep your teeth in good shape and resist future occurrences of gum disease, you must brush and floss daily, eat a healthy diet, avoid tobacco use, and have regular periodontal maintenence cleanings every three or four months, depending on the severity of your periodontal disease. Periodontal disease unfortunately doesn’t go away.  However, lifelong dedication to great homecare and regular maintenence cleanings with your hygienist can sucessfully prevent future bone and tooth loss.

Surgical Treatment Options

If the tissue or bone surrounding your teeth is too damaged to be repaired with non-surgical treatment, we may refer you to a Periodontist- a dentist who specializes in periodontal disease.  After receiving the appropriate surgical and/or laser treatment, you will return to our office for your regular periodontal maintenece treatment.