Periodontal Gum Disease Treatment in Heber Springs
Periodontal disease is the medical term for gum disease. It is one of the leading causes of tooth loss among adults and it is easily treated if diagnosed in its early stages. Gum disease is caused by plaque building up around the gum lines. Over time, the plaque bacteria, which becomes tartar when it hardens, can destroy bone, periodontal ligament and gum tissue. This can result in serious dental problems. The study of and treatment of these problems is referred to as “Gum Disease Treatment”.
You may not know you have gum disease before you have serious dental problems because it does not cause pain until serious problems arise. To view our video about Periodontal Disease, click here. To download a PDF about Periodontal Disease, click here.
Our Gum Disease Treatments:
Dr. Wilson and his staff are highly skilled in the following periodontics:
- Deep Cleaning – this involves deep cleaning of your teeth to remove all plaque and tartar. This procedure’s technical name is Scaling & Root Planning. To view our video about deep cleaning, click here.
- Periodontal Surgery – sometimes, when the disease has reached more advanced stages, a more aggressive gum disease treatment such as minor surgery is needed. There are many options for periodontics – a few can even on occasion reverse some of the damage.
- Connective Tissue Grafts – this gum disease treatment involves grafting gum tissue to replace the receded gum tissue. To view our video about periodontics and Connective Tissue Grafts, click here.
- Tissue Regeneration – this involves helping your bone regenerate in areas where it has receded due to gum disease. To view our video about periodontics and Tissue Regeneration, click here.
What are the signs of Gum Disease?
Please let us know if you have any of these following warning signs:
- Your gums bleed easily.
- Your gums are very red, tender and/or swollen.
- You can see pus in between your teeth and gums when they are pressed.
- Your gums seem to be pulling away from your teeth.
- You have chronic bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth.
- You notice a change in your bite or in the way your teeth fit together.
- Your teeth are loose or separating.
- The fit of your partials or dentures have changed.
How to Avoid Gum Disease
Brushing twice a day is not enough to remove plaque from between the teeth. You also need to floss daily. When plaque is not removed in a timely manner, it will harden into a thick deposit called tartar. If tartar remains on your teeth below the gum line, it can lead to chronic infection and inflammation. Our regular examination includes looking for tartar build-up. If we discover any problems, we will let you know and help you resolve the problem. After each exam, we will also clean and polish your tooth (your teeth will love it!).
Other Services
In addition to gum disease treatment, our Heber Springs Dentist, Dr. Robert L. Wilson also has extensive experience in the following dental services. Click on the item to go to its webpage.