Gum disease is one of the leading causes of tooth loss, but with early treatment, it can be managed and even reversed. Periodontal therapy helps control infection, restore gum health, and protect your teeth from long-term damage. Great Northwest Dental in Auburn, WA offers advanced gum disease treatment to stop progression and keep your smile healthy.
Signs of Gum Disease
- Red, swollen, or bleeding gums
- Persistent bad breath
- Gum recession or tooth sensitivity
- Loose teeth or shifting bite
- Pockets forming between teeth and gums
What Causes Gum Disease?
Our mouths provide a home to millions of bacteria, both beneficial and harmful. Bacteria form a sticky substance, plaque, that adheres to the teeth. Brushing and flossing aim at removing plaque before it mineralizes into tartar. Tartar becomes a colony for more bacteria and adds to their population, pumping out toxins into the gums.
Gums react to this bacterial invasion with an inflammatory response under the direction of the immune system. Around the base of each tooth, a small collar of gum tissue exists that forms a small crevice or pocket. This warm, dark environment provides a perfect habitat for deeper tartar and bacterial penetration, with their toxins seeping into the base of the collar.
Early inflammation results in bleeding gums, known as gingivitis. Bacteria left untreated and undisturbed successfully create a chronic infection in the gum collar. In many cases, the bone begins to deteriorate around the teeth as the bacteria burrow deeper into the gums. While gums may be slightly tender at this stage, there’s generally minimal discomfort as the bone dissolves.
More than 50% of the bone around your teeth can disappear before any signs of looseness or pain begin to appear. The bone around teeth never regenerates, so this loss becomes permanent and harder to control as the bacteria hide deeper into the gums. Untreated gum disease leads to abscess and generalized tooth loss in many advanced cases.
Periodontal Therapy Treatments
Scaling & Root Planing (Deep Cleaning)
A non-surgical treatment that removes plaque and tartar buildup beneath the gumline and smooths the tooth roots to promote healing.
Antibacterial Therapy
Medicated rinses or localized antibiotics help eliminate bacteria and prevent reinfection.
Gum Disease Maintenance
Regular home care is critical to arrest the progression of gum disease. Within a few hours of a careful cleaning, the bacteria begin to repopulate and adhere to the teeth. Plaque left undisturbed will start to harden and mineralize within 24 hours. And deeper gum pockets require even more diligence to prevent the bacteria from burrowing further into the foundation of your teeth.
Since the deepest sections of gum pockets previously damaged by bacteria can be difficult to reach at home, a particular maintenance schedule with us proves essential. We can customize your plan to include 2, 3 or 4 visits a year depending on the severity of disease and its response to treatment and home care.
If our combined efforts don’t halt your gum disease, we will suggest referral to a trusted specialist, known as a periodontist. With specialized training in many gum conditions, further treatment may be recommended.
Benefits of Periodontal Therapy
- Reduces inflammation and bleeding
- Prevents further gum recession and bone loss
- Protects teeth from decay and loss
- Improves overall oral health and freshens breath
Mouth-Body Connection
Current research continues to establish clear links between bacterial disease in your mouth and ailments in other parts of the body. Studies show a link between oral bacteria and conditions such as heart disease, stroke, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, and certain types of cancers. The integration of oral and general health has never been better understood than it is currently.
Bleeding gums provide a direct pathway into the bloodstream, a journey that toxic oral bacteria can quickly take. In fact, if bleeding gums connected into one single patch, it would create a 2 x 2-inch square. If an open wound of this size existed on your skin, infection would be a concern. Bleeding, infected gums offer this open door to your body and sit saturated in colonies of bacteria. This helps explain why researchers continue to identify oral bacteria deposits in various areas of our bodies.
Diabetes and other auto-immune disorders lower the body’s ability to fight infection, allowing uncontrolled gum disease to advance faster and with more destruction. Research also confirms that the inflammation in the mouth can aggravate diabetes, making it harder to control. This two-way relationship between two chronic conditions emphasizes the importance of optimal oral health.
Get In Touch
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(253)833-6033
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1346 8th NE, STE 100
Auburn, WA 98002
Hours
Monday: 7am – 4pm
Tuesday: 7am – 5pm
Wednesday: 7am – 7pm
Thursday: 7am – 4:30pm
Friday: 7am – 2:30pm