Periodontal (Gum) Treatments
When you trust Floresta Plaza Dental with your oral health, we will start from the very foundation of dentistry to ensure you stay healthy – your gums.
Healthy gums are an essential element of a healthy smile and body. Healthy gums are pain-free, light pink, and hug your teeth tightly. Unhealthy gums may appear red and swollen, and they may bleed or feel painful or sensitive.
Bleeding gums often indicate a problem called periodontal (gum) disease – a chronic infection in your gums that damages both the pink tissue and the bone underneath.
The Whole Body Connection
Gum disease is an inflammatory condition that affects your breath, your smile, and other body systems, including circulatory and respiratory. Research links gum disease to a number of systemic conditions, including:
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Pancreatic cancer
- Respiratory conditions (pneumonia, bronchitis, COPD)
- Low birth weight in babies born to women with periodontal disease
- Alzheimer’s disease
This link highlights the importance of maintaining healthy gums, not just to avoid bad breath and tooth loss, but to protect nearly every aspect of your health.
Diagnosing Gum Disease
Our hygiene team is diligent at monitoring your gum health at every dental appointment because it can change over time. Changes in hormones, as with pregnancy, medications, and even problems like dry mouth, can all affect your gums. Even stress can impact your oral health!
Our hygienist will take measurements of the space between your teeth and gums. Healthy gums are tightly wrapped close to your tooth. Infection causes gums to pull away from your teeth.
We also monitor other signs such as inflammation, recession, and bleeding points. If you do suffer from gum disease, we can provide customized periodontal treatment to help you get back on track.
Treating Periodontal Disease
In some cases, when we catch symptoms early, we can reverse gum disease with specialized dental cleanings designed to remove bacteria and tartar from your teeth. The bacteria and tartar irritate your gum tissue and cause inflammation. Of course, stepping up your home care is essential to the success of any periodontal treatment. Brushing, flossing, and eating a healthy diet all play big roles.
As gum disease becomes more advanced, we may need to perform an extensive cleaning. Don’t worry, though, our hygienists are thorough, yet gentle. Advanced gum disease may take a few appointments to treat. Once we have your infection under control, we will plan regular periodontal maintenance appointments often enough to keep it that way.
Staying on top of your gum health will be necessary because once you have periodontal disease, you will be more likely to experience infections in the future.
Do Your Gums Hurt or Bleed?
For gum treatments in the Bay Area, contact us right away! The sooner we treat your gums, the better off your oral health and overall health can be. Even if you have missed some dental appointments and need help getting caught up, we are here for you without a guilt trip!
Both Dr. Ken Torres and Dr. Allea Paras Torres are compassionate and committed to helping you feel good about your smile again.
