While bleeding gums may not seem like a really big deal, when left untreated, bleeding gums can progress to a much more serious complication. Bleeding gums are the first sign of gum disease, known as gingivitis, which is easily treatable. However, when left untreated, gingivitis will progress to the later stages of gum disease. Once periodontal disease has progressed past the point of gingivitis, you will need Carlisle gum disease therapy with Dr. Thomas Neslund. Dr. Neslund provides Carlisle periodontal therapy to stop the damaging results of the infection to restore your oral health.
Carlisle Gum Disease Therapy
When gum disease is caught early, the first step of treatment involves a cleaning process called, “scaling and root planing.” This is a nonsurgical procedure that removes plaque and tarter accumulation from the tooth and root surfaces. By doing so, the gum tissue is able to heal, thus allowing the periodontal pockets that have developed to shrink.
After a deep cleaning has been performed, you may be required to take certain medication, such as antibiotics or pain medications to help with the healing process. You may also be required to use a mouth rinse to help reduce bacteria and inflammation of the gums.
After your initial visit for treatment, you’ll need to come back to visit your Carlisle PA general dentist so we can check the progression of the treatment. We will check the pocket depths to determine if the cleaning and additional treatments were effective. Often, many patients won’t require additional treatment at this point. However, if gum disease has reached the later stages or the cleaning wasn’t effective for adequate healing, you may require more specialized treatments.
For those with deep pockets, the supporting bone and tooth roots may have become damaged, which can lead to tooth loss. To prevent tooth loss, your gum and bone tissue will require additional treatment. In some cases, surgery may be needed to remove damaged gum tissue that didn’t heal after the scaling and root planing to reduce further damage to the supporting bone. Through surgery, Dr. Neslund is better able to clean areas that were unreachable through the previous procedure, allowing him to provide the bone with a higher ability to regenerate.
For those who have suffered extensive bone damage, bone grafting may be needed to help rebuild or reshape the bone. This will also encourage your body’s natural ability to heal to regenerate new bone and tissue growth.
Should the teeth become loose from the loss of bone, oral appliances may be needed to give added support. For those who have lost excessive gum tissue, a soft-tissue gum graft may be required to cover the tooth root.
Carlisle Periodontal Therapy
The extent of treatment you will require depends on how early you seek treatment for gum disease. When caught early, treatment is often minor, but should you wait until gum disease has reached the later stages, you will require a more customized and extensive treatment plan to stop and reverse the damage that has occurred.
If you’re in need of periodontal therapy, please call our office at (717) 609-4690.