Gum disease doesn’t spring up overnight—it progresses slowly, and in many cases, you may not even realize you have it! Left untreated, gum disease can lead to larger issues, including tooth loss. Gum disease can happen even if you are vigilant about flossing, brushing and taking care of your teeth, which is why it is so important to get routine dental check-ups.

Gum Disease Treatment Therapies

Should your dental visit indicate the presence of gum disease, Hedgewood House Dental will work with you to develop an appropriate treatment plan. Depending on the disease’s severity, it may be necessary to consider more aggressive therapies that move beyond the surface of the teeth and below the gum line. For example, if there is a large amount of bacteria or plaque that is accumulating below the gum line, Hedgewood House Dental may suggest specific medications administered at the disease site, or additional treatments like curettage or root-planing.

Curettage is the name for the procedure where diseased soft tissue is removed from around the tooth. By removing the diseased tissue, we are removing a source of chronic infection and irritation and allowing proper healing to occur.

Root-planing is another aggressive gum disease treatment that involves removing and smoothing microscopic amounts of the tooth’s root surface. When this is complete, you are left with a clean, bacteria-free surface that promotes optimal healing of the soft tissue surrounding it.

Oftentimes, curettage and root-planing are done at the same time by our skilled hygienists. Local anesthesia is many times suggested as a way to minimize any discomfort. After the procedure is complete, our hygiene team will demonstrate the things you can do at home to maintain the oral gains created by your recent procedure. Over your next several appointments, Hedgewood House Dental will assess your current state of gum disease before working with you to determine if additional steps are necessary.

If your gum disease has progressed well below the gum line, we may recommend a consultation with a periodontist who specializes in gum disease-related surgery. For especially aggressive cases of gum disease, surgery may offer the best prognosis that allows for the gum and bone to fully heal.