Protect & Support Your Gum Health
Healthy gums are vital for your overall oral health. Unfortunately, many people overlook proper gum care and develop periodontal disease, a serious infection that can lead to tooth loss and other complications. At Just Smile Dental, we understand the importance of caring for your gums as well as your teeth.
Our top Everett dentist, Dr. William Webley, offers customized treatment plans to restore gum health using both traditional and holistic approaches. Whether you’re suffering from swollen, tender gums or have been diagnosed with advanced periodontal disease, we can help. We develop individualized solutions tailored to your gum condition and needs.
What Is Periodontics?
Periodontics is a dental specialty that focuses on supporting and protecting your gums against disease. Periodontal disease, also known as gum disease, can affect your oral and overall health, thus why treatment is crucial to protect your smile and its foundation.
The cleaning of calculus, also known as tartar, is a major component of treating gum disease. However, changes in the patient’s behavior are just as important. Making sure your dental hygiene habits are up to par is critical in the treatment of gum disease.
Stages of Gum Disease
Several stages of gum disease can develop over time if left untreated:
- Gingivitis — The first stage of gum disease consists of plaque buildup at the gum line. You’ll notice red swelling and inflammation in the gums. This is the only stage that is completely reversible so it’s critical to get treatment early on.
- Periodontitis — If gingivitis is left untreated, it progresses to a serious stage called periodontitis. The bone and tissue supporting your teeth will begin to wear down. You’ll begin to experience gum recession and severe pain.
- Advanced Periodontitis — The most severe stage and will most likely require surgery to repair your gums. You’ll most likely lose your tooth since the bone and tissue have sustained irreversible damage.
Our Periodontal Treatments at Our Everett Office
Deep Cleanings
At Just Smile Dental, we offer deep cleanings to remove harmful plaque and bacteria for patients with gum disease. This non-invasive treatment, also known as scaling and planing, goes beyond a regular cleaning to thoroughly clean teeth down to the roots.
First, Dr. Webley will scale or scrape away tartar, plaque, and bacteria from the visible surfaces of your teeth. Then the root planing phase smoothes and cleans the root surfaces below the gumline. This gets rid of debris and infection inside periodontal pockets, stopping the further progression of gum disease.
A deep dental cleaning can effectively remove infection and allow the gums to heal and reattach to the teeth. By removing built-up bacteria, we can help restore your oral health and give you a stronger, healthier smile.
PerioProtect Trays
PerioProtect Trays are customized, retainer-like devices that allow us to deliver medication deep beneath the gums to fight infection. The PerioProtect process is simple and non-invasive.
We’ll take impressions of your teeth and create trays tailored to fit your mouth. You’ll wear the trays for just 10-15 minutes each day, during which time the medication will penetrate into periodontal pockets and treat gum infection at the source.
Unlike rinses or pastes, PerioProtect Trays ensure the medication reaches areas that need it most. The anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties help eliminate bacteria, reduce inflammation, and prevent reinfection. With consistent short daily use, the trays can effectively treat gum disease without surgery.
Localized vs Systemic Antibiotic Therapies
Localized antibiotic therapy is a safe technique that helps kill bacteria, and prevent gum disease from recurring as your gum heals. The therapy results in a high local concentration of antibiotics with minimal systemic levels. The antibiotic can be made out of gel, powder, or strip form and is applied directly to the site of the infection.
Systemic antibiotic therapy comes in a pill form and aims to treat and prevent infectious bacteria from progressing further. Deep cleaning is often combined with this therapy to ensure the prevention of gum disease is successful.
Air Abrasion
We offer air abrasion as a drill-free, minimally invasive way to treat teeth. This advanced technology uses a concentrated stream of air pressure and particles to gently “sand” away decay or prepare teeth for fillings and crowns.
During air abrasion, Dr. Webley directs a specialized handpiece that releases a controlled spray of aluminum oxide particles toward the treatment area. The particles painlessly remove decay and precisely prepare the tooth, avoiding the heat, vibration, and noise associated with traditional dental drills.
Air abrasion is often used to treat small cavities or particularly sensitive teeth. It allows us to remove decay while conserving healthy tooth structure. The procedure requires no anesthesia, causes little to no pain, and does not expose teeth to heat that could damage nerve tissue.
Gum Grafting
Is gum recession putting your oral health at risk? At Just Smile Dental, we offer gum grafting to help restore receding gums. This procedure grafts healthy gum tissue into areas where the gums have pulled away from the teeth, exposing vulnerable roots.
During gum grafting, Dr. Webley will take a small amount of tissue from the roof of the mouth or another donor source. He skillfully secures this graft into the receded areas, stimulating the regeneration of gum tissue. The new grafted tissue will integrate with your existing gums over time.
The benefits of gum grafting are numerous. Grafting can cover exposed roots, protecting them from sensitivity and decay. It improves the look of your smile by correcting uneven gum lines. Most importantly, it halts further gum recession and bone loss to preserve your natural teeth.
Cosmetic Gum Surgeries
Gum recession doesn’t just affect oral health — it can also undermine the aesthetic appearance of your smile. We offer cosmetic gum surgery to restore and recontour receding gums for a more balanced, youthful smile.
During this procedure, Dr. Webley skillfully grafts healthy gum tissue into areas where recession has occurred. The grafted tissue integrates with your existing gumline, filling in spaces, evening out proportions, and covering exposed roots. Cosmetic gum surgery also halts further gum recession.
While primarily an aesthetic treatment, cosmetic gum surgery provides important health benefits too. Covering roots prevents sensitivity and decay. It allows you to keep your natural teeth longer by correcting gum recession. We’ll match the color and texture of grafted tissue for natural-looking results.
Electrosurge
We offer electrosurge as an advanced treatment option for gum disease. This minimally invasive technique uses electrical current to precisely remove infected gum tissue with little discomfort.
During electrosurge, Dr. Webley applies a finely-controlled electrical current to diseased areas of the gums. This heat energy rapidly and precisely detaches unhealthy gum tissue while disinfecting the area. Because it cauterizes as it removes tissue, electrosurge prevents bleeding and aids in faster healing.
The precision of electrosurge allows our periodontist to target only infected areas that need removal. This conserves healthy gum tissue for optimal results. The procedure is done under local anesthesia in a single appointment, reducing treatment time. Patients experience very little pain and recover more quickly compared to traditional gum surgery.
Frequently Asked Questions
If the disease is caught early in the gingivitis stage, it can be reversed with a deep cleaning. However, if the disease has progressed further, it can’t be reversed. Although, your periodontists or dentist can help slow the progress and provide you with treatments to stimulate new tissue growth.
Aside from poor oral hygiene habits, certain risk factors can increase the likelihood of developing gum disease. These factors may include smoking, a family history of gum disease, hormonal changes (such as during pregnancy), certain medications, and certain systemic diseases like diabetes.
Your periodontist recommends following these instructions to prevent gum disease from worsening:
- Stay hydrated
- Limit acidic and sugar intake
- Brush your teeth twice a day
- Floss at least once a week, preferably before bed
- Brush gently to avoid gum recession
- Rinse with salt water after every meal
- Avoid smoking usage and alcohol consumption
In addition to maintaining good oral hygiene, certain lifestyle changes can positively impact gum health. Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and stress management can contribute to overall well-being, which may indirectly support gum health.
We Can Restore Your Oral Health
If you’re looking for gum disease treatments in the Everett, WA area or the surrounding areas such as Edmonds, Marysville, Lynnwood, and Silver Firs, Dr. Webley can help. The team at Just Smile Dental will do everything to find the best treatment to stop the progression of gum disease.
Contact our Everett, WA office at (425) 341-1111 to schedule your appointment with Dr. Webley. You can also book your appointment online and one of our staff will be able to assist you. We look forward to saving and preserving your smile!