What is periodontal disease?

Hygiene and Gum Care

In addition to the meticulous cleaning, polishing, and examination of your teeth, we also take the time to help our patients develop proper oral hygiene habits at home. We will evaluate your hygiene techniques and make adjustments to your routine where needed. Our doctors and hygienists will also make suggestions for preventative measures such as dental sealants or nightguards to protect against bruxism (teeth grinding) & TMJ (Temporal mandibular joint) problems.

Scaling & Root Planing

Your toothbrush and floss alone can't stop gum disease from spreading because they can't reach under your gum line. If you continue to ignore your symptoms (bleeding, swollen and tender gums, bad breath, etc.) the infection can eventually spread to the rest of your organs; ultimately affecting the health of your heart!
If we feel that you are suffering from gingivitis or more severe gum disease, we may recommend root scaling or planning, which is a deeper cleaning, usually with local anesthetic, as a first approach to improving your gum tissue health. These measures can be instrumental in preventing bone loss and helping you to keep your natural teeth.

Scaling and root planning is a non-surgical procedure in which our hygienists will remove plaque and tartar from below the gum line. Root surfaces are cleaned and smoothed with specially designed instruments. It is important to remove the plaque and tartar from the pockets, because aside from the bacterial toxins that irritate the gums, plaque and the rough surfaces of tartar make it easier for bacteria to gain a foothold. Some of our hygienists are trained to provide laser disinfection for those patients who may need this additional treatment.
FYI: Bleeding when you brush and floss is not normal! You may think that a little bleeding when you floss isn't a big deal. What you're not seeing, however, is that diseased tissue is silently forming way down deep between your teeth and into your gum tissue. And, sometimes a healthy mouth cleaning and polishing treatment isn't enough to help decrease the spread of this gum disease.