Periodontal is a word that refers to the gums and bone surrounding and supporting your teeth. Periodontal dentistry deals with treating periodontal disease or, in other words, gum and bone disease. Depending on the severity, this kind of dentistry may require the expertise of those who have received extra years of specialized training on periodontal disease, known as periodontists. Our services at Apple Tree Dental aim to prevent periodontal disease from occurring in the first place or help prevent the disease from spreading if it has already appeared.
Avoiding possible periodontal disease problems is always the best way to go. This disease is caused by bacteria that begins to grow between the teeth and on the gums. When the bacteria builds up and is not removed, it can cause inflammation in the gums. This inflammation if left unchecked will destroy bone and gum tissue and can lead to bad breath, bleeding gums, sensitive teeth, loose teeth, or even tooth loss. Periodontal disease can often be avoided through regular brushing, flossing, and dentist visits to remove food debris and plaque that is stuck between the teeth. But, sometimes, lack of good oral health habits causes signs of gum disease to appear anyway. If this is the case, and you have already started experiencing symptoms of periodontal disease, at Apple Tree Dental, we offer services to help limit the possible progression of the disease.
Periodontal disease is also more likely to occur in those who are 65 years of age and older or have a habit of smoking. Even your diet and genetics can factor into how at-risk you are for periodontal disease. If you have any questions about your oral health pertaining to periodontal disease, schedule an appointment to have an expert take a look and evaluate what steps you personally need to take to prevent this disease.
Symptoms of periodontal disease include bad breath, red gums, swollen gums, bleeding gums, painful chewing, loose teeth, sensitive teeth, and receding gums or longer appearing teeth. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is best to make an appointment to see a specialist sooner than later. We want to help you achieve the best oral health possible by treating possible problems before requiring dental surgery.
When periodontal disease makes a big enough impact on one’s oral health, it can cause loss of teeth because of unsupportive gums, deterioration supporting jaw bone, or health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, and respiratory infections. At that point, extensive and expensive dental work such as gum graft surgery, laser treatment, regenerative procedures, dental crown lengthening, dental implants, pocket reduction procedures, or plastic surgery procedures may need to be done.
Our dental professionals here at Apple Tree Dental in Rexburg want to help you achieve a happy and healthy smile. Let us help you take care of your teeth and gums with our preventative periodontal services by setting up an appointment with us today. We look forward to serving you.
