Gum Disease Treatment – Clifton Park, NY
Relief for Bleeding, Swollen Gums
Gum disease is a painful, progressive condition that affects your teeth and the supporting soft tissue that surrounds them. Dr. Milward is experienced in providing various gum disease treatments to her patients at Adirondack Dental Group in Clifton Park, New York. To schedule a consultation and learn about available options for gum disease treatment at our Clifton Park, NY dental office, call today.
Why Choose Adirondack Dental Group for Gum Disease Treatment?
- Warm, Welcoming Dental Home
- Arestin Antibiotic Therapy Available
- Early Appointment Hours Offered
What is Gum Disease?
Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, is an inflammatory condition that affects your teeth, the supporting soft tissue, and the jawbone.
The common condition often begins as gingivitis, which is a bacterial infection of your gum tissue. As the infection progresses, it spreads to the gum pockets between your teeth and becomes more complicated to treat.
Risk Factors of Gum Disease
Common risk factors of gum disease are:
- Gingivitis
- Poor oral hygiene
- Smoking or chewing tobacco
- Hormonal changes
- Recreational drug use
- Obesity
- Inadequate nutrition
- Genetic history
- Certain medications
- Cancer
- Chronic autoimmune diseases
It’s important to schedule regular dental exams and practice good oral hygiene to reduce the risk of developing gum disease. Left untreated, gum disease has the potential to destroy your connective tissue and jawbone, shift teeth, and cause tooth loss. It’s the leading cause of tooth loss in adults.
What are Symptoms of Gum Disease?
Gum disease may show little to no symptoms until it reaches more advanced stages and causes your teeth to separate from the gums. However, some symptoms of gum disease include:
- Swollen, tender, receding, or bleeding gums
- Bright red or purple gums
- Bad breath
- Pus
- Loss of teeth or loose teeth
- Painful chewing or change in bite
- Gaps developing between teeth
If you have any of these symptoms, it’s important to contact Adirondack Dental Group to receive a comprehensive examination and determine a diagnosis.
Scaling & Root Planing
You can think of scaling and root planing as two parts of a special cleaning procedure that’s focused specifically on your gums and the roots of your teeth. Scaling is the process of removing bacteria buildup from your gums, with us specifically targeting the small spaces between the gums and the teeth. Root planing is where we smooth out the roots of the teeth. This is done because bacteria have an easier time attaching themselves to rough surfaces; the smoothing process makes future buildups less likely to occur.
Arestin Antibiotic Therapy
After scaling and root planing have been performed, we may apply Arestin to the pockets between your teeth and gums. Arestin is an antibiotic that takes the form of multiple microspheres filled with a special medication that’s slowly released over the course of weeks. Placing Arestin in your gums means that it’s able to attack the harmful bacteria that would otherwise be hard to reach. Arestin lasts about 14 days, and it can significantly reduce the risk of future infection after you’ve already been treated for gum disease.