GUM DISEASE TREATMENT
Our friendly hygienist will help you eliminate gum disease and improve your oral health.
Gum disease if it progresses to periodontitis, or severe gum disease, can lead to bone loss around the teeth and inflammation that can even increase the risk of chronic disease, especially heart disease. Regular checkups, cleaning and checks for gum disease can help you keep your gums and teeth healthy.
Our Gum Disease Treatment
Diagnosis
The first step is an exam that includes digital X-rays, intraoral imaging and measuring the depth of the space between the gum and tooth (pocket) using a digital probe. The digital probe is more accurate than hand probing with a hand instrument. Its precision is within 0.2 mm.
A normal measurement of a gum pocket is 3 mm or less. More than that indicates there is a periodontal problem that should be treated.
Gingivitis vs Periodontal Disease
Gingivitis is the non-painful swelling of gum tissue without any underlying bone or ligament damage. The gums usually bleed a bit. Professional cleaning to remove the plaque (film of bacteria) around the tooth along with good home oral care is usually enough to treat gingivitis.
Periodontal disease is also known as periodontitis. You can have acute periodontitis—painful swelling of the gum tissue caused by bacteria that’s trapped below the gum line—and chronic periodontitis, the gradual loss of the ligament and bone support for the tooth. This creates a pocket that is occupied by bacterial plaque and calculus (hardened plaque).
Treatment for Periodontitis
We treat periodontitis with root scaling and planing using an ultrasonic scaler. This removes the calculus from the root and smooths the root so that the bacteria are less prone to attach. When the pocket depth is deeper than 5 mm, we will recommend a time release antibiotic powder called Arestin, which we place in the gum pockets. Over the next 30 days the antibiotic works to kill the bacteria that are leading to your gum, ligament and bone loss.
Severe Gum Disease
If your periodontitis is severe or is not responding to standard treatment, our periodontist will see you and recommend appropriate treatment.
Call (561) 464-5827 or click here to book online.
Friendly, informative care
Our hygienist is friendly and caring. She and Dr. Alegre educate patients on appropriate home oral care to reduce gum bleeding and stop gum disease.
“Dr. Alegre is kind, honest and calm. He gives me honest opinions. The office is clean and the staff are honest.
“This office runs on time, there is no waiting around. The doctor comes in promptly and introduces himself confidently. The staff is very comforting, asking if I need any refreshments and reminding me that everything will be OK. I know I am in good hands in Dr. Alegre’s chair, as he always talks patients through the procedure and lets me know what is taking place.”
Call (561) 464-5827 or click here to book online.