Periodontal Care Portland OR Periodontal disease is not a disease that a patient wants to develop. It can damage both the hard and soft tissues of the oral cavity. This means the teeth, upper and lower jawbones, the gums, and tongue are all at risk. While the disease is quite harmful, the cause comes from the patient’s own body. It is true. Those patients who fail to diligently brush and floss, allow the bacteria, which naturally occur in the mouth, to spread and grow to dangerous levels. When this happens, the bacteria start to attack the tissues of the oral cavities. There are multiple levels of periodontal disease. The first level is the most crucial. This is because only during the initial stage is when the disease can be cured. The first level is known as gingivitis. If the disease grows worse and moves beyond the initial stage, there is no cure. The only thing that can be done to treat the disease, at that point, is to help ease the symptoms. The disease will continue to damage the oral cavity. One way to treat it is through periodontal maintenance, which is a deep cleaning process occurring three times a year. It helps to slow the progression of the disease but does not completely eradicate it. Anyone with questions about gum disease or the associated treatments should come to our Barnes Dental office. Assessing Gum DiseaseThe only way to be certain if a patient has periodontal disease or not is through a complete and thorough examination. If it is found they have the disease, we can also determine what stage it is in and recommend an appropriate treatment. There are a number of factors which help to determine what stage the disease is currently in. We look at the teeth and gums extensively, to determine how much plaque there is, and how much tartar buildup exists on the teeth and gums. The pocket size and depth are also very telling. Gums will sometimes begin to recede from the base of the teeth during the initial stages of periodontal disease. Our staff will also take x-rays, to examine the health of the jawbone and determine if any bone mass has been lost. This is another indicator that gum disease is present. Are There Non-Surgical Treatments?When the disease is in the initial stage of gingivitis it can be treated with non-surgical treatments. There are many to choose from. One procedure is known as root-scaling and involves scraping off tartar, bacteria, and plaque from the surfaces of the teeth. Another non-surgical treatment is root-planing which involves smoothing the surface of the root to the point bacteria have a difficult time clinging to the surface. Periodontal maintenance occurs three times a year and is a deep cleaning routine provided by a dental professional. Surgical TreatmentsOnce the disease progresses beyond gingivitis, surgical intervention is necessary. Some procedures include gum grafts, bone grafts, and pocket reduction surgery. Those who want to find out more should contact us at Barnes Dental. Patients can reach us by phone at (971) 441-5520. |
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