Periodontal Disease Specialist

What is periodontal disease?

Periodontal disease, or gum disease, affects both your gums and your teeth. The condition is highly common, and you likely have some stage of it right now, even if you don’t notice symptoms. Thankfully, it’s also highly treatable — even preventable — with some help from your Greder Dental dentist. 

Periodontal disease is an inflammatory condition of your gums and the bones within your mouth. Your mouth is a hotbed of bacteria: If you don’t clean your mouth often enough or thoroughly enough, bacteria can accumulate around and under your gumline. 

It infects your gums and can spread to your bones, leading to tooth loss. Gum disease may also be linked to heart disease, respiratory disease, and other major conditions when it goes untreated.

What are the symptoms of periodontal disease?

Periodontal disease symptoms appear gradually. For years, you might not notice much of a difference in your oral health. You might see some slight bleeding after brushing your teeth, but many men and women don’t think much about this when they see it. Other possible signs and symptoms of periodontal disease are:

• Bright red or inflamed gums
• Receding gums
• Pockets between your gums and teeth
• Bad breath
• A bad taste in your mouth
• Teeth that seem to change position
• Pain or tenderness while chewing
• Loose adult teeth

When the disease progresses, it can cause an inflammatory response throughout your whole body. You can prevent these and other symptoms from worsening by keeping up on your six-month dental evaluations at Greder Dental and cleaning your teeth diligently and thoroughly.

What are some available treatments for periodontal disease?

Your Greder Dental dentist skillfully treats periodontal disease to alleviate your symptoms and stop the condition from progressing. They may recommend one or more of these treatments:

Scaling and root planing

Scaling is the gentle removal of hardened, bacteria-harboring plaque from the surfaces of your teeth. During root planing, part two of the procedure, your dentist smooths the surface of the roots of your teeth so your gums can easily reattach to close the pockets. 

Soft tissue laser treatment

If your periodontal disease has advanced, your Greder Dental dentist might recommend a soft tissue laser. The precise laser removes diseased tissue from your gums without the need for scalpels or stitches.

Antibiotic therapy

If you have a sudden and severe onset of gum disease, your dentist may use antibiotics to tame the infection. 

To schedule a periodontal disease evaluation, call Greder Dental or use the convenient online booking tool today.