Periodontal Therapy

What is periodontal therapy?

Periodontal therapy is the regimen of treatment required to address periodontitis — or advanced gum disease. This type of therapy may include everything from consultations on improving oral hygiene to professional deep cleaning and scaling and root planing treatments.

The team at Green Dental has experience completing successful periodontal therapy for our patients. Since we have expertise in treating periodontitis, you won’t need to be referred to other offices. That means we can keep track of your health, treatment, and recovery all under one roof. This is important in complete and comprehensive oral health care.

What is periodontitis?

Periodontitis is an infection that damages the soft tissue in your gums. This infection is caused by plaque that remains on your gum line and hardens into tartar. Tartar can cause your gums to pull away from your teeth, inviting further infection and damage. Also called gum disease, periodontitis can be painful, causing inflammation and bleeding in your gums. Left unchecked, it can also cause serious side effects up to and including tooth loss. Increasingly, studies are suggesting that periodontitis can affect your overall health, including the health of your heart, lungs, brain, and more. That is why it is so important to get it treated.

How do I know if I have periodontitis?

Though only a dentist can properly diagnose you, there are several warning signs you should pay attention to that may signal the presence of periodontitis. They include:

• Inflamed gums
• Gums that are bright or dark red, or purple
• Bleeding gums when brushing or flossing
• Bad breath
• Loose teeth
• Pain when chewing
• Receding gums

When in doubt, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Schedule an appointment with Drs. Gordon and Brooks Green and Dr. Nichole Barnett if you are experiencing one or more of these symptoms. The early we can address possible gum disease, the more effective the treatment will be.

Can periodontitis be prevented?

Thankfully, periodontitis can be prevented. Gum disease is quite common, so don’t despair if your exam reveals that you are experiencing some of the symptoms. Excellent dental hygiene and changes to your current cleaning routine can help resolve early cases of gum disease. That includes brushing twice a day, flossing every day, and scheduling and attending your regular exams and cleanings every six months.

Even if you do have periodontitis, continuing to practice good dental hygiene can make periodontal therapy even more successful.

What can patients expect during periodontal therapy at Green Dental?

Our periodontal therapy is gentle, comfortable, and thorough. We want to get you back to normal as soon as possible. If we choose to use scaling and root planing, we will work in quadrants while using local anesthesia. We also use platelet rich fibrin to speed healing.