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Non-Surgical Gum Treatments
The gums, ligaments, and bone around the teeth form the foundation for ones teeth. All of these supporting structures are also referred to as the periodontium. When the periodontium is not healthy, it jeopardizes the teeth just as a bad foundation would threaten the stability of a house. It also effects your systemic health, with a correlation between the health of your gums and your risk for cardiovascular complications such as high blood pressure, heart attacks and stroke. A healthy smile is a reflection of a healthy body.
Signs of unhealthy periodontium (gum disease) may be as follows: gums that are red and bleed easily, persistent bad breath, gums that are pulled away from the tooth, loose teeth, and changes in the position or bite of the teeth. Any of these signs may mean something is wrong. With the proper care, however, it may be possible to return them to a healthy state. This is where appropriate gum treatments come in.
If you are experiencing any of these signs or symptoms, come in and see us so we can take care of it right away. The treatment usually involves a deep cleaning or root planing done under a local anesthetic, along with local antibiotic agents. We use an instrument called a piezo unit to use an ultrasonic sound wave to vibrate off the tartar buildup, and irrigate the gums at the same time with medicine that flushes out the debris, and remains under the gum line to help in the healing process. We then see you for a follow-up appointment four weeks later to verify that your tissue is responding appropriately, and that health is regained. Any sites requiring additional help will receive it, and continued care will start at 3 month intervals, which helps to keep the bacteria from reaching its critical mass levels again.
The primary component to the healing process is in your hands literally. We recommend a specific dental instrument, the Rotadent, for an effective, simple way to keep the bacteria normally associated with gum disease from reaching critical mass again. Rotapoints are used in conjunction with flossing for maintaining the tissue health between the teeth as well.
The bristles on the head of the rotadent area one half, ½, the diameter of traditional tooth brushes and other over the counter electric and sonic tooth brushes. It is not a tooth brush, it is a dental instrument. There are 3000 bristles on each head, with three shapes available, depending on the needs of the patient. Each unit comes with a lifetime warranty, rechargeable battery and charging cord, platform stand to keep the heads from contacting each other, four brush heads, tongue scraper and box of rotapoints.
If the gum disease gets too severe it may need to be treated through surgery or extraction. This is why it is important to get it treated at the first sign of a problem.
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