Gum Disease Treatment

Keeping your gums free of damage-causing bacteria is an important step in your oral health. A common dental disorder is the development of gum disease, sometimes referred to as gingivitis or periodontal disease. Maintaining a careful daily oral hygiene routine, along with regular visits with our hygienist can help you keep your gums healthy. At Van Alstine Family Dentistry, we like to see our patients at least twice a year for a dental cleaning. During this appointment, our professional hygienist will remove plaque and hardened tartar or calculus which naturally accumulates on the surface and along the rim of your teeth. Dr. Van Alstine recognizes the importance of taking preventive measures to increase the health of your mouth, and that includes keeping your gums strong and clean.

Gum Disease

Gum disease is an infection of the soft tissue that provides your teeth with stability. When this tissue is infected, it will respond by pulling away from the source of infection, while also pulling away from your teeth. To keep your teeth strong and in place, you want to keep this tissue healthy.

Patients get gum disease from bacteria. Our mouths are full of bacteria, there are bacteria in the food we eat, and in the air, we breathe. We encounter bacteria all day long. The best way to keep bacteria under control is by brushing, flossing, and rinsing daily. Other factors such as having adequate saliva levels and drinking water regularly also help. Also, seeing your dentist, including Dr. Van Alstine, and our hygienist for regular dental cleanings can help keep your gum tissue healthy and strong. When we don’t take these steps, the infection can occur.

Do I Have Gum Disease?

The signs of gum disease can be easy to spot. The real difficulty for some patients is that they have seen the signs for so long that they are no longer aware that the signs are an indication of a problem. Looking in a mirror, you can look for the following symptoms of gum disease:

Are your gums red in color, opposed to pink?

• Do they appear or feel irritated?
• Do your gums bleed, even a little, when you brush or floss? Bleeding gums when you floss is not normal, it is a sign of gum disease.
• Do you suffer from constant bad breath that just never seems to go away?

There are steps you can take to alleviate gum disease. Depending on your level of infection, we offer varying treatments to help.

The most common form of gum disease is the mildest form, known as gingivitis. The patient is suffering from limited gum disease that can be treated with a standard prophylaxis dental cleaning.

Patients with gingivitis or chronic periodontal disease may find that they need a deep clean. Though most of our patients may be unaware of it, a common step in most of our adult patient’s cleanings is a procedure known as a deep cleaning or scaling and root planing. This step will remove any bacteria-filled plaque, tartar, and calculus that has developed below the gum line. Our professional hygienist, along with Dr. Van Alstine will evaluate your teeth before your normal cleaning appointment, we will measure your gum pockets and determine if your gums are suffering from a bacterial infection. If evidence of infection is found, we will review this information with you and help you determine if a deep cleaning is right for you.

Gum Disease Care

Scheduling an appointment with Dr. Van Alstine for an evaluation is the best way to determine your needs. Gum disease will not go away on its own, but the resolution may be simple. Contact our front desk at Van Alstine Family Dentistry, our staff is here to assist you. Van Alstine Family Dentistry Phone Number (734) 482-8500