If you have gum disease, it is commonly referred to as gingivitis. However, if left untreated, gingivitis can evolve into the more severe form of gum disease, called periodontitis. This is a serious condition that can damage the tissue that supports teeth and can eventually lead to tooth loss. Treating this disease at Harmony Dental Care in Oshawa, ON will require many therapies, some of which are surgical in nature.
Non-Surgical Therapies
There are a number of therapies that are not surgical that your dentist at Harmony Dental Care will start out with.
Scaling
Scaling is a deep, thorough cleaning that’s also used for gingivitis – the minor version of the gum disease. Scaling goes beyond what you’d normally experience at a tooth cleaning. It removes plaque and tartar from beneath the gum line tissue. Hand scalers and ultrasonic instruments are used for this procedure.
Root Planing
Root planing is another procedure that is sometimes used to treat gingivitis as well as periodontitis. It involves smoothing out the surface of a tooth underneath the gums in order to stop plaque from building up once more.
Surgical Therapies
Sometimes it is necessary to have surgery to address periodontitis. There are several different surgical therapies that may be recommended by Harmony Dental Care.
Gum Grafting
Because the disease of periodontitis can cause the gums to recede, this sometimes leaves the roots of your tooth exposed. In order to keep your roots safe, you might need to have tissue taken from your mouth or another donor source and placed over the exposed area.
Crown Lengthening
Periodontitis can lead to a gummy looking smile. In this case, we will use crown lengthening to make your teeth appear longer. This process involves reshaping your gum line and the bone in order to show more of your tooth.
Regenerative Procedures
Regenerative procedures are there to prevent tooth loss after damage to the bone tissue. We will start by pulling back your gums in order to get to the damaged tissue. Then we can remove the infected tissue and bacteria that are causing the periodontitis. Once this is done, we will promote regeneration of bone and tissues by using membranes, bone grafts, tissue-stimulating proteins, or all three.
Dental Implants
If you’ve already begun experiencing tooth loss due to periodontitis, then you may be a candidate for a dental implant in Oshawa. This is important because you want to fill the gap in order to keep your other teeth from drifting over. It also keeps your jawbone from degenerating further.
