Periodontal Care

If you’re experiencing bleeding or swelling in your gums, a bad taste in your mouth, or loose teeth, you could be displaying signs of periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is a serious condition in which the tissues surrounding the teeth become infected with bacteria. It is a leading cause of tooth loss. In addition, as the infection spreads to other organs, it has been shown to lead to other health complications such as heart disease, strokes, diabetes, premature birth, kidney damage and others.

What causes periodontal disease?

Periodontal disease is caused by the buildup of harmful bacteria on your teeth, gums, tongue and tonsils. There are natural bacteria that live in your mouth, producing acid as a result. This acid is otherwise known as “plaque” when it’s on the teeth and a “biofilm” when it’s on other tissues. Once the plaque hardens it turns into tartar. Tartar attaches to your teeth above and below the gumline and can only be removed by the dental team. When tartar and plaque are not removed from your teeth, they can cause damage to the gums, bones and ligaments that connect your teeth.

Treatment for Periodontal Disease

If you have periodontal disease, you may require one or more methods of treatment. Our goal is to help you control the infection and lessen the damage of the disease. To do this, Dr. Dean uses a state of the art nonsurgical technique called the OraVital™ System. This works beautifully to help control gum disease in 90% of the cases in just four weeks without surgical cutting. At-home care and maintenance on your behalf are also key to preventing a resurgence of symptoms.