Periodontal Therapy
Renew Your Oral Health with Comprehensive Periodontal Therapy
Discover how our treatment options can help restore your gums and teeth.
Have you noticed any signs of gum disease: red, swollen, bleeding, or receding gums, and bad breath?
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, seeking treatment as soon as possible is important.
Gum disease is a common condition affecting the gums and bones supporting your teeth. Left untreated, it can lead to tooth loss and other serious health problems.
At Smile Connections Family Dental, we offer a variety of periodontal therapy services to help you maintain healthy gums and avoid:
Don’t delay – call today!
Benefits of Periodontal Therapy
Here are just a few ways periodontal therapy helps patients.
A healthy mouth and beautiful smile allow individuals to feel more comfortable and confident in social and professional settings.
Periodontal therapy can prevent tooth loss caused by the deterioration of the gums and jaw bones.
Improve the appearance of your teeth by removing stains and discoloration caused by bacteria and plaque buildup.
How Periodontal Therapy Works
Early detection of gum disease at Smile Connections Family Dental can treat the problem.
Our dedicated team at Smile Connections Family Dental in Wichita, KS knows the signs and dangers of progressive periodontitis but can help you fight back with periodontal therapy.
- Step 1
Come in for an assessment, and we’ll create your individualized treatment plan. Each gum disease case is unique, but we typically begin with the least invasive procedure. We’ll discuss controllable (lifestyle) and uncontrollable (family history of disease) factors affecting your gum health.
- Step 2
Scaling and root planing help fight mild to moderate cases of periodontal disease. We clean the tooth’s root surface, remove plaque and bacteria below the gumline, and smooth the surface area so it’s harder for bacteria to adhere. Another non-invasive periodontal therapy includes targeted medication or antibiotics to fight infection directly. We monitor progress and move on to the next steps if needed.
- Step 3
Surgical options include gum grafts or bone grafts. Gum grafts protect the tooth root when there’s advanced gum recession, and bone grafts help grow new bone when there is bone loss. Gum flap surgery is another option where gums are temporarily separated from teeth to clean the affected root thoroughly. Additional options include pocket reduction surgery and dental crown lengthening.
Each case is unique, and we start with the least invasive periodontal therapy, monitor treatment, and move on to the next phase if there’s advanced periodontal disease. The worst cases of periodontal disease cause irreversible damage to the gums, roots, and teeth. In these cases, once the gum heals, a dental implant can replace the lost tooth.
FAQ About Periodontal Therapy
- What does periodontal treatment involve?
Periodontal treatment helps to restore the health of your gums and, in turn, your teeth. Early detection of gum disease and a periodontal therapy plan are crucial to treating periodontitis and preventing tooth loss.
Step one is to schedule a consultation with our dentist in Wichita, KS, who can properly examine your gum health.
Bacteria that stick to teeth and irritate gums lead to gum disease. We first try to control the bacteria. If the infection is treated, but the tooth is damaged, we can plan to restore your smile with restorative or cosmetic dentistry.
Each case of gum disease varies with each patient, but we typically begin with the least invasive and most cost-effective procedure. The first phase is scaling and root planing, where we do a deep cleaning of the affected tooth above and below the gumline. Targeted medication may be prescribed if necessary.
Our dental team at Smile Connections Family Dental will monitor your progress and, if needed, move on to the next phase of treatment. These treatments are more invasive, but it’s important to note that all periodontal therapy is safe and pain-free with anesthesia.
Surgical periodontal therapies include gum grafts, bone grafts, gum flap surgery, pocket reduction surgery, and dental crown lengthening. If there is tooth loss caused by gum disease, we first treat the infection, and once the gum heals, restore the tooth with a dental implant.
After periodontal therapy, preventative care is essential to maintain healthy gums. This includes brushing twice daily, flossing, maintaining biannual dental cleanings and exams, and limiting sugar intake.
- What are three nonsurgical periodontal treatments?
The three nonsurgical periodontal treatment options include scaling and root planing to remove tartar and bacteria below the gumline, placement of medication below the gumline, and systemic antimicrobials.
Step one of periodontal treatment would be to complete scaling and root planing. After a follow-up, the dentist can determine the next step, such as a targeted medicine application.
Our goal is to use the least invasive and cost-effective treatment for your periodontal treatment. If you’re wondering which treatment is best for you, please schedule a consultation with our Wichita, KS, dentist.
- Is periodontal therapy necessary?
Periodontal therapy is necessary to restore your oral health and prevent tooth loss when periodontal disease is present and affects your gums and bone.
Signs of periodontal disease include swollen or red gums, bleeding gums, visible pockets between gums and teeth, receding gums, bad breath, and loose teeth. Unfortunately, some signs aren’t obvious to patients. It’s important to visit your dentist regularly, so they can properly diagnose and monitor the health of your gums and teeth.
Untreated gum disease puts you at risk of severe health problems, disease, and irreversible tooth loss. Don’t let a preventable dental condition lead to severe complications that require extra time, money, and stress.
Step one is a diagnosis for any stage of gum disease followed by a treatment plan with periodontal therapy. To keep their gums healthy, patients must maintain a healthy lifestyle and good oral hygiene. All periodontal therapies are safe and effective in helping patients get back on track to healthy gums and teeth and, in turn, their overall health.
- Does periodontal treatment work?
Yes, periodontal treatment works and takes less time and money when periodontitis is caught early. Our dentist creates a custom treatment plan and monitors progress to help your gums and teeth heal from gum disease. After that, maintenance is important to prevent gum disease from coming back.
Periodontal treatment and therapy are most effective if patients follow instructions and maintenance protocols post-treatment. By adequately following your dentist’s instructions, you can prevent gum disease recurrence and enjoy a happy and healthy mouth.
- Can teeth be saved with periodontal disease?
When periodontal disease is diagnosed and treated early, nonsurgical treatments can fix the issue and prevent tooth loss.
For more serious periodontal disease, which causes bone loss and loose teeth, a specialist may have to perform surgery. If a tooth isn’t saveable, dental implant options are available; and they look and feel just like natural teeth!
Early stages of periodontal disease can most likely be treated with periodontal therapy to remove plaque and tartar at and below the gumline to treat gum disease effectively. When bacteria get trapped below the gumline, they can wreak havoc by destroying the gum and bone tissue, in turn leading to damaged and loosened gums that lead to tooth loss.
Regular dentist visits are crucial to your health because dentists can find issues that you may not realize exist, such as gum disease. Gum disease can even be present without pain for years, but some visible signs include swollen gums, red gums, bleeding gums during brushing or flossing, loose teeth, and bad breath.
Schedule a periodontal therapy appointment in Wichita, KS, today.