Inflamed gums, a characteristic of gingivitis, is a relatively mild form of gum disease that causes discomfort and the gum tissue to appear red and swollen. When this condition goes untreated it can turn into periodontitis, a more advanced level of gum disease characterized by the gums separating from the teeth, tooth loss, and bone loss. Gum disease does more than compromise your smile and daily activities like eating and speaking, however; it can compromise your overall health. The bacteria that cause gum disease have also been linked to conditions as serious as strokes, heart disease, and diabetes, among others.
Worst of all, millions of Americans have gum disease and many of them don’t know it!
At South Shore Long Island Periodontics & Implantology we understand the direct connection between your gum health and your general health, and we strive to protect both through comprehensive, highly skilled care. Let us help you prevent gum disease and its dangerous consequences with good dental hygiene practices and regular visits to our Wantagh, NY office. Our board-certified periodontists offer osseous surgery and other effective gum disease remedies, including laser treatment.
We can treat your gum disease with one or more procedures. Common cases typically involve scaling and root planing. With scaling, we eliminate bacteria and infection from underneath your gums using delicate dental instruments. With root planing, we go deeper beneath your gums to eliminate plaque and tartar buildup from the roots of your teeth by smoothing them out. Naturally porous tooth surfaces promote bacteria growth. A smoother surface decreases the likelihood of bacteria growth. This will also allow the surrounding gum tissue to bond back with the tooth. This non-surgical gum disease treatment has been shown to be very effective in restoring your gum health and even making your breath fresher!
If you have advanced gum disease, you need an advanced gum disease treatment. In severe cases, this means removing the diseased parts of your gums that will not respond to lesser treatments in a procedure called osseous surgery. With osseous surgery, we eliminate the specific diseased portions of your gums and, if necessary, your jawbone to remove plaque, bacteria, and tartar from your teeth. We then replace the missing tissue with grafts from other parts of your mouth.
Gum disease isn’t curable, but it is treatable. After your osseous surgery or scaling and planing procedures, preserve the health of your gums with good brushing and flossing habits at home, as well as regular visits to our Wantagh, NY office for periodontal maintenance. These appointments give us the chance to do deep cleaning and perform any additional scaling and root planing you may need to stop your gum disease from causing you more trouble in the future. Keep all of your periodontal maintenance appointments and follow our guidelines for dental hygiene at home to increase your chances of avoiding further issues with your gums.
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