At DeJesus Dental Group, Dr. Phillip DeJesus and his staff believe in preventative dentistry to protect patients’ oral health and save the need for expensive dental work later on in life. Gum disease is one dental condition that progresses slowly and can cause several dental problems if it is not detected and treated in its earliest stages. At Dr. DeJesus’ Bridgeport cosmetic dentistry practice, he offers both surgical and non-surgical gum disease treatments. It is always his goal to treat dental conditions with the most conservative approach possible. However, if a condition such as gum disease has advanced beyond repair with conservative treatment, Dr. DeJesus will provide the surgical treatment necessary to restore the oral health of patients.
Gum disease is a condition in which tartar and plaque have built up along the teeth and beneath the surface of the gums. Gum disease can cause mild symptoms including gum inflammation, tenderness, and bad breath and may eventually develop to the point of more serious symptoms such as bone and tissue damage and eventually tooth loss. It is extremely important to treat gum disease in order to prevent these more severe symptoms. Gum disease treatment will vary from patient to patient, depending on what stage of gum disease the patient is experiencing. Whenever possible, Dr. DeJesus will use one of the following non-surgical treatment methods:
- Dental cleaning with fluoride treatment: For patients exhibiting signs of the earliest stages of gum disease, a thorough dental cleaning and a fluoride treatment can remove plaque and tartar and combat gum disease. Routine dental cleanings will be necessary to keep the teeth and gums healthy.
- Scaling and root planing: For more advanced stages of gum disease, scaling and planing will be necessary. Scaling and root planing is a special kind of dental cleaning that allows dentists to clean not just the surface of the teeth, but also the underlying tooth beneath the gum line. Additionally, rough patches on the tooth, where bacteria tend to gather, can be smoothed to eliminate disease causing bacteria from the mouth.
- Medication: Medication is frequently used along with a cleaning method such as scaling and root planing. Medication helps rid the mouth of bacteria to ensure that the mouth is completely clean of these disease-causing organisms. Medication may be administered during treatment and/or prescribed for use at home after treatment. Medication varies in form from rinse to gels to oral tablets.
While it is Dr. DeJesus’ goal to detect and treat gum disease with one of the above methods, patients who exhibit the most advances stages of gum disease may require more involved treatments. For these patients, surgical treatment may be necessary to treat gum disease and restore the patient’s oral health. The most common surgical treatments for gum disease are:
- Flap surgery: Flap surgery addresses tartar that is trapped in deep pockets beneath the gums. During flap surgery, the gums are lifted away from the teeth so that these deep pockets can be thoroughly cleaned. The gums are then sutured back snugly against the teeth to close these pockets.
- Bone grafting and tissue regeneration: If a patient has lost significant bone or tissue as a result of gum disease, bone grafting or tissue regeneration may be recommended in addition to flap surgery. These procedures aid in the production of bone and tissue to replace that damaged or lost to gum disease.
The final stage of gum disease treatment will be repairing any damage that has been caused to the teeth. Dental crowns are often applied to teeth that have been damaged by the disease causing plaque and tartar.
Schedule an Appointment
At DeJesus Dental Group, the entire team wants to restore your teeth and gums in order to give you the healthy, attractive smile you deserve. If you are in need of restorative dental work or are simply looking for a trusted general dentist, schedule an appointment at DeJesus Dental Group at your earliest convenience.