Protect & Support Your Gum Health
Periodontal (gum disease) is a serious issue that, if left untreated, can lead to further complications and affect many people’s lives. Despite this fact, at-home gum care is often overlooked as many patients believe oral health is entirely tooth health. Fortunately, at Just Smile Dental, Dr. Webley and our skilled dental team are capable of treating periodontal disease in our patients.
If you’re currently suffering from gum disease and are looking for holistic treatment options in the Everett, WA area, our practice can help. Learn how our alternatives can treat your symptoms while supporting your gum health.
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. Ensuring your dental hygiene habits are up to par is critical in gum disease treatment.
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 Periodontic Treatments
Deep Cleanings
Deep cleaning, also known as scaling and planing, is a non-invasive treatment that removes the bacteria in your mouth. During the scaling process, Dr. Webley will clean your teeth’s surfaces of any plaque and bacteria that have gathered over time. From there, we’ll clean the root of your teeth through planing. We’ll smoothen out the surface of your roots to prevent bacteria from accumulating in the pockets caused by infections and continuing to attack. Deep cleaning can stop gum disease from progressing further and get your smile strong and healthy.
PerioProtect Trays
PerioProtect Tray is a non-invasive approach to gum disease treatment. The trays are retainer-like devices, customized to fit each patient, and contain effective medication to travel deep beneath your gums. The trays gently apply medication deep under the gum to help fight infectious bacteria by wearing the device for about 10 to 15 minutes per day. The tray help ensure the prevention of bacteria gathering again.
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 use air abrasion, the concentrated air pressure, to professionally clean your teeth. This allows us to treat your teeth more naturally, instead of using a drill or a needle. This procedure is used when filling a cavity or preparing for a dental crown. Dr. Webley uses a special handpiece that’s connected to the air pressure and tiny particles. When activated, a stream of the particles gently impacts the tooth surface to clean.
Gum Grafting
As gum disease progresses, your gum tissue recedes from your teeth which creates periodontal pockets. To reverse gum recession, Dr. Webley offers gum grafting as a solution. During the procedure, Dr. Webley will use healthy gum tissue from another part of your mouth or a donor source. He’ll graft the healthy tissue into the recession areas. This helps preserve your soft tissue and makes recession less likely to happen again.
Cosmetic Gum Surgeries
Cosmetic gum surgery, while cosmetic, it’s also a medical procedure. Because gum disease causes gum recession, Dr. Webley offers cosmetic gum surgery to reshape and repair your gums. Similar to gum grafting, we’ll get a piece of healthy gum tissue from you or a donor source and plant it in the recession areas.
Electrosurge
Electrosurge is a technique used with a very low heat current to ensure there’s no bleeding and to rapidly dissect the infected gum tissue with little to no discomfort. With extreme precision, Dr. Webley can control the progression of gum disease. With this technique, the procedure can be done in just one appointment and faster recovery time.
Frequently Asked Questions
If the disease is caught early on 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, Dr. Webley can help slow the progress and provide you with treatments to stimulate new tissue growths.
Learn how Dr. Webley can help your gums from worsening with our treatment solutions at our Everett, WA office by calling (425) 341-1111.
Dr. Webley 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
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 fill out our online contact form and one of our staff will be able to assist you. We look forward to saving and preserving your smile!