The importance of dental hygiene and periodontal treatments
Keeping your smile healthy is more than just maintaining a beautiful smile—it also helps keep issues such as tooth decay and periodontal disease from causing irreversible damage! Periodontal disease, or periodontitis, is a condition that can significantly change the smile due to bone, tissue, and tooth loss. Drs. Gary and Scott Pearl at Pearl Dental Care in Hamden, Connecticut, can educate patients on the importance of dental hygiene habits and diagnosing and treating periodontal disease.
What is periodontal disease?
Also called periodontitis or gum disease, periodontal disease is an infection that can wreak havoc on the smile. The condition starts in the gum tissues and harbors bacteria in pockets that develop between gums and teeth. Without appropriate treatment, the bacteria multiply and cause the gum tissues to shrink, the jawbone to deteriorate, and ultimately the loss of natural, adult teeth. This condition is entirely preventable with proper dental hygiene habits such as brushing, flossing, and routine dental appointments.
Does gingivitis have a cure?
The earliest stage of periodontitis is called gingivitis and is characterized by bleeding, swollen gum tissues. When caught in this early stage, patients can reverse the condition. Otherwise, advancement can result in the formation of late-stage periodontitis, which can be much more difficult to manage.
Why is dental hygiene crucial?
Maintaining a healthy smile also helps keep a healthy body, as the oral-systemic connection shows that periodontal disease causes bacteria to enter the bloodstream. That carries it to other parts of the body and can contribute to other medical problems such as strokes and heart disease. The team at Pearl Dental Care will educate patients on keeping dental hygiene up to par to ensure healthy smiles for life!
Support Healthy Gums for a Healthy Smile and Healthy Body
Untreated gum disease can cause tooth loss and may even be linked to systemic health issues like heart disease. Don’t ignore bleeding gums or other signs of gum disease. Schedule a visit to Pearl Dental Care in Hamden, CT, today.
Periodontal disease treatment options
Periodontal Disease is also known as Periodontitis or “gum disease.” If you have signs of gum disease, it is essential to see your dentist and start treatment as early as possible to minimize damage to your gums, teeth, and jawbone. Signs of gum disease are swollen gums, painful gums or teeth, bleeding gums, loose teeth, and bad breath. At Pearl Dental Care, we offer several treatment options designed to halt the progression of gum disease and treat the underlying infection. Our dental team will perform a thorough evaluation of your gums to determine the best treatment choices for your specific needs, which may include:
- More frequent professional cleanings: In its early stage (gingivitis), gum disease is reversible, and, in some cases, diligent home care and increased frequency of professional cleanings are all that is needed to restore health to your gums.
- Scaling in the presence of gingival inflammation: A thorough cleaning above and below the gumline for gingivitis.
- Scaling and root planing: Also called “deep cleanings,” this non-surgical periodontal disease procedure is performed to remove calculus and bacteria from above and below the gum line (in periodontal pockets). After cleaning the area, the tooth root is smoothed out to help the gums reattach to the teeth.
- Osseous surgery: Also called “pocket reduction surgery,” this treatment is performed to reduce the size of periodontal pockets that have developed in your gums and may be recommended if you have periodontal pockets that have become very deep. Our treatment for the most advanced periodontal disease cases.
- Perio Protect: A minimally invasive treatment option that uses patented, customized trays that deliver prescription medication deep into the gum tissues to fight disease-causing bacteria, cleanse periodontal pockets, and freshen your breath. The trays are worn for just minutes each day in the comfort of your home and can be used as a stand-alone treatment option or as a supplement to other gum disease therapies.
Frequently asked questions about Periodontal Gum Therapy
Is gum disease contagious?
You can’t catch periodontal disease the same way you can catch a cold. However, the bacteria that cause gum disease can be transmitted through saliva. That means sharing utensils, toothbrushes, drinks, or even kissing can transfer harmful bacteria.
Being exposed to these bacteria does not mean you automatically get gum disease. However, it increases your risk. Good oral hygiene and regular dental cleanings help keep those bacteria in check.
Is gum disease treatment painful?
Our goal is for all treatment to be pain-free. Your comfort is our priority. We use gentle techniques and, where needed, we use powerful anesthetics to keep the area numb throughout the procedure. You may feel pressure during treatment, but not pain. However, we understand some patients may need a little help to remain comfortable. We offer several sedation options to ensure a stress-free dental experience.
How does gum disease affect systemic health?
There is a close link between your mouth and body. Without treatment, harmful bacteria can seep into the bloodstream, increasing the risk of systemic conditions like heart disease, dementia, diabetes, and respiratory issues. Treating gum disease isn’t just about your smile; it’s about your overall well-being.
Does treating gum disease always involve surgery?
No. We can treat many cases without surgery. Our office offers non-surgical options, such as scaling and root planing (deep cleaning), which are often highly effective. We also like Perio Protect. We recommend surgical options, including gum flap surgery and gum grafting, when the damage is severe. While surgery is an option, we always start with the least invasive approach.
Does insurance cover gum disease treatment?
In many cases, yes. Most dental insurance plans cover part of periodontal treatment, especially when it’s medically necessary. However, coverage varies by plan. Our team will help you understand your benefits. We’ll also discuss how to make treatment affordable with financing options like CareCredit.
Is gum disease preventable?
Yes, the right steps can help protect your smile from gum disease. Here are simple but effective tips to prevent gum disease.
- Use fluoride toothpaste to brush twice daily
- Clean between your teeth with dental floss or an interdental brush
- Quit tobacco products, including smoking, chewing, and vaping
- Maintain regular dental check-ups and cleanings with your dentist
- Manage any immune-suppressing conditions, such as diabetes
- Maintain a dental-friendly diet and limit the intake of sugary foods and drinks
If you are a parent, it’s important to avoid putting spoons and dummies in your mouth before giving them to your child. This prevents the transfer of harmful bacteria to your child.
Where can I get gum disease treatment near me in Hamden, CT?
Gum disease can have serious effects on your health. However, it's possible to manage and even prevent it with proper periodontal care. Ready to achieve optimal gum health? Call (203) 285-8245 and schedule an appointment with Pearl Dental Care, serving Hamden, New Haven, Woodbridge, Cheshire, Wallingford, and the nearby areas. Taking the right steps to protect your gums can maintain optimal oral health for many years.
What is periodontal disease?
So periodontal means around the teeth. So periodontal disease is disease of the gum and bone around the teeth. Bacteria live in our mouths,and when bacteria live in plaque and calculus on the teeth, your body’s own immune system ramps up and tries to kill the bacteria. But what happens is your immune system destroys the gum and bone around your teeth. So what starts as gingivitis or just inflammation of the gums turns into periodontitis where you actually lose bone around the teeth and your teeth can get loose or even fall out. One of the criteria that we use here and our hygienists use every time you come in for a cleaning is measuring your pocketing. The pocket is a space around the teeth between the gum and the tooth that everyone has, and a healthy pocket is about three millimeters. If you have periodontal disease or gum disease, pocketing is four or more millimeters, four and five millimeters. We could call gingivitis six and up, we would call periodontitis.
If you do have periodontal disease, what are the treatment options in the office?
The good news is we have some great treatment options for periodontal disease depending on the severity of your periodontal disease. We have a spectrum of treatments ranging from seeing the hygienist for scaling and root planning. Some people call that a deep cleaning. That’s what we do for earlier periodontal disease. If your pocketing is about four or five millimeters, you’ll see the hygienist for a scaling and root planning, which means she is cleaning plaque and tartar from under the gum line and making sure the roots of your teeth are very smooth. We may also use perio protect trays, which are custom made trays that you wear at home with a hydrogen peroxide gel, which can help improve your probing even more. In more advanced cases, we have laser treatments that we offer. Some of our laser treatments are truly amazing at getting your body to heal from loss of bone, and we are actually able to regenerate bone around your teeth, and in some cases we might even use bone grafting materials, gum grafting, and traditional approaches to improve your perial disease when the pocketing is 7, 8, 9 or more millimeters.
Once you’ve completed periodontal treatment in the office, what is the follow-up care at home and in the office?
follow-up care is critical, and sometimes you’ll hear the word periodontal maintenance or the phrase periodontal maintenance, and it really is a team approach. We can do a great treatment here, but the patient needs to have great home care as well. That involves using their water pick and their electric toothbrush and their soft pick, and committing to a home regimen that will help you create. In addition, we want to see patients at least for the first year, every three to four months after their periodontal treatment, and we find much better results when patients come in more frequently.
What can you do to prevent periodontal disease?
The good news is for most people, periodontal disease is preventable. Coming twice a year for most people, for your cleanings and checkups is critical. Having good home care and that involves using electric toothbrush, a water pick, soft picks, daily mouth rinse is so important. Not smoking and not smoking is also very important.
Actual Patients Before and After Results
The patient was struggling with a conventional upper denture and desired more retention and less gagging. Dr. Adam Abel placed 4 zygomatic implants and Dr. Scott Pearl created a fixed implant bridge for excellent function that is much more comfortable.
