Purpose of Treatment

Periodontal disease starts when calculus and plaque aren’t removed from the teeth, allowing them to build up and destroy the gums and bone. Four out of five people have periodontal disease—gingivitis, periodontitis, or advanced periodontitis—and don’t know it because it’s relatively painless in its early stages. However, periodontal disease is the number one reason for tooth loss. Research also shows it causes other serious health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and increased risk during pregnancy.

Preventing periodontal disease with good oral hygiene, a balanced diet, and regular visits to your dentist will eliminate the risk factors associated with the disease.

What this Treatment Involves

Periodontal disease is a serious issue, but we can help. First, we’ll evaluate the degree of periodontal disease and recommend the best course of treatment depending on the severity of the problem. If the disease is caught early, we can give specific customized home instruments and instructions that may eliminate the disease in the affected areas.

If the condition is more advanced, we can certainly help with that as well. The current standard for removing the bacteria associated with periodontal disease is the use of ultrasonic scaling and root planing (often called deep cleaning).

We remove tartar, calculus, plaque, and toxins from below and above the gum line and smooth out rough spots on the root surfaces. This treatment helps heal gum tissue heal and shrink deep pockets that the bacteria has caused. We may also recommend medication, special mouth rinses, and an electric toothbrush. Since the key to stopping this disease is interruption of the bacterial accumulation, more frequent visits with us are often required.

At Dr. Anderson’s office, we have all received advanced continuing education on the very best and latest ways to help our patients eliminate this all-too-common disease. One of the relatively new ways we’ve found to win the battle with periodontal disease is a product called Perio Protect. We would love to tell you more about it.