Do your gums hurt when you drink cold beverages? When you brush your teeth, do your gums bleed? You could have early symptoms of gum disease, also known as periodontitis.
Gum disease doesn’t spring up overnight—it progresses slowly, and in many cases, you may not even realize you have it!
At first, you can experience bleeding, red, and swollen gums, all signs of gum inflammation or gingivitis.
As gum disease progresses, you can experience gum recession, gum pain, and even loose teeth. Left untreated, gum disease can lead to larger issues, including tooth loss.
Gum disease can happen even if you are vigilant about flossing, brushing, and taking care of your teeth, which is why it is so important to get routine dental check-ups.
At Brilliant Smiles Family Dentistry, we provide periodontal disease treatment in Cadillac, MI, to restore patients’ smiles. We also provide additional restorative dentistry services to our patients.
Periodontal Therapy
Should your dental visit indicate the presence of gum disease, our team at Brilliant Smiles will work with you to develop an appropriate treatment plan.
Depending on the disease’s severity, it may be necessary to consider more aggressive therapies that move beyond the surface of the teeth and below the gum line. Dr. Jenicke may also recommend these treatments:
Scaling and Root Planing
During scaling treatment, we remove diseased soft tissue is removed from around the tooth. By removing the diseased tissue, we are removing a source of chronic infection and irritation and allowing proper healing to occur.
Root planing is another treatment for aggressive gum disease that involves removing and smoothing microscopic amounts of the tooth’s root surface.
When this is complete, you are left with a clean, bacteria-free surface that promotes optimal healing of the soft tissue surrounding it. We will often perform scaling and root planing treatments at the same time to remove harmful bacteria from the mouth.
Gingivectomy
Gum disease can create deep gum pockets as the gums pull away from the teeth. Gingivectomies can help remove the diseased gum tissue before the disease affects the tooth roots.
Dr. Jenicke uses soft tissue dental lasers to remove diseased gum tissue gently. Dental lasers offer a painless alternative to surgical tools, using heat and light energy to target and cut tissue.
One of our hygienists and Dr. Jenicke will assess your current state of gum disease before working with you to determine if additional steps are necessary.
If your gum disease has progressed well below the gum line, we may recommend a consultation with a periodontist who specializes in gum disease-related surgery.
For especially aggressive cases of gum disease, surgery may offer the best prognosis that allows for the gum and bone to heal fully.
Flap surgery is sometimes performed to remove tartar deposits in deep pockets or to reduce the periodontal pocket and make it easier for you or your dental professional to keep the area clean.
This common surgery involves lifting back the gums and removing the tartar.
The gums are then sutured back in place so that the tissue fits snugly around the tooth again.
A pocket reduction procedure is recommended if daily at-home oral hygiene and a professional care routine cannot effectively reach these deep pockets.
Get Healthier Gums Today
Do your gums bleed when you brush? You may be developing gum disease. Schedule a dental appointment with Dr. Jenicke on our website or call 231-389-6388 today.