Category Archives: Gum Disease

Treating Gum Disease

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Dr. Tom Tinney, D.D.S. – Gum Disease

If you have bleeding, puffy, or agitated gums, you may be one of the adults who have gum disease. Periodontal disease can lead to receding gums, loss of teeth, chronic bad breath, and has recently been linked with heart disease. Treating gum disease can reverse the process and help both teeth and gums to become healthy again. Periodontal disease, commonly known as gum disease, afflicts about 85% of adults. This condition is not to be taken lightly; when untreated; gum disease can lead to recession of the gums, loss of teeth, and heart disease.

A periodontist is a dentist who specializes in the prevention, diagnosis and treating gum disease, and even laser dentistry. Periodontists receive extensive training in these areas, including three additional years of education beyond dental school. Periodontists are familiar with the latest techniques for treating gum disease. In addition, they can perform cosmetic periodontal procedures to help you achieve the smile you desire.

Dentist Elk Grove Can Help With Gum Disease

Most periodontists would agree that after scaling and root planing, many patients do not require any further active treatment in treating gum disease. However, the majority of patients will require ongoing maintenance therapy to sustain health. Non-surgical therapy does have its limitations, however, and when it does not achieve periodontal health, surgery may be indicated to restore periodontal anatomy damaged by periodontal diseases and to facilitate oral hygiene practices.

Limited research suggests that the use of lasers as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP) may improve the effectiveness of this procedure. In addition, when the lasers are used properly during periodontal therapy there can be less bleeding, swelling and discomfort to the patient during surgery.

Don’t Hide From Gum Disease

If you’re diagnosed with gum disease, your periodontist may recommend periodontal surgery. Periodontal surgery is necessary when your periodontist determines that the tissue around your teeth is unhealthy and cannot be repaired with non-surgical treatment. Following are the four types of surgical treatments most commonly prescribed:

  • A pocket reduction procedure has been recommended because you have pockets that are too deep to clean with daily at-home oral hygiene and a professional care routine. During this procedure, your periodontist folds back the gum tissue and removes the disease-causing bacteria before securing the tissue into place. In some cases, irregular surfaces of the damaged bone are smoothed to limit areas where disease-causing bacteria can hide. This allows the gum tissue to better reattach to healthy bone.
  • Your periodontist may recommend a regenerative procedure when the bone supporting your teeth has been destroyed. These procedures can reverse some of the damage by regenerating lost bone and tissue. During this procedure, your periodontist folds back the gum tissue and removes the disease-causing bacteria. Membranes (filters), bone grafts or tissue-stimulating proteins can be used to encourage your body’s natural ability to regenerate bone and tissue.
  • During a crown lengthening procedure, excess gum and bone tissue is reshaped to expose more of the natural tooth. This can be done to one tooth, to even your gum line, or to several teeth to expose a natural, broad smile. Your dentist or periodontist may also recommend crown lengthening to make a restorative or cosmetic dental procedure possible. If your tooth is decayed, broken below the gum line, or has insufficient tooth structure for a restoration, such as a crown or bridge. Crown lengthening adjusts the gum and bone level to expose more of the tooth so it can be restored.
  • Soft tissue grafts can be used to cover roots or develop gum tissue where absent due to excessive gingival recession. During this procedure, your periodontist takes gum tissue from your palate or another donor source to cover the exposed root. This can be done for one tooth or several teeth to even your gum line and reduce sensitivity.

Habitual brushing and flossing can prevent gum disease. However, once gum disease develops, brushing and flossing alone are not enough. Treating periodontal disease requires a thorough cleaning of the teeth and gums (to avoid gum disease), followed by continual treatment of the area with a FDA approved, Elk Grove Dentist prescribed solution.

Dr. Tom Tinney, DDS (916) 236-4551 – Dentist Elk Grove

gum disease

Preventative Dentistry to Avoid Gum Disease

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Preventative dentistry relies on good oral hygiene and regular dental care that is essential throughout your life, whatever your age. By practicing good oral hygiene at home and visiting the doctor regularly, you will help prevent dental problems and aid in early detection of problems such as gum disease, tooth decay, and tooth loss. In the process, you can save your teeth and gums. You should visit your dentist every 6 months for routine cleanings and check ups. A complete program of preventive dental begins with regular cleanings to control plaque and calculus, which cause tooth decay and periodontal disease.

Gum disease is an infection of the tissues that support your teeth. It is a major cause of tooth loss in adults. Because gum disease is usually painless, you may not know you have it. It is caused by plaque, a sticky film of bacteria that constantly forms on teeth. The bacteria create toxins that will damage gums. At each regular checkup the dentist will measure the depth of the shallow v-shaped crevice between your tooth and gums to identify whether you have gum disease.

Periodontal diseases are classified according to the severity of the disease. The two major stages are gingivitis and periodontitis. Periodontal diseases attack just below the gum line, where they cause the attachment of the tooth and its supporting tissues to break down. As the tissues are damaged they develop into a pocket; generally, the more severe the disease, the greater the depth of the pocket. With gingivitis, the gums become red, swollen and bleed easily. At this stage, the disease is still reversible and can usually be eliminated by daily brushing and flossing. In the more advanced stages of gum disease, called periodontitis, the gums and bone that support the teeth become seriously damaged. The teeth can become loose, fall out, or have to be removed by a dentist.

Tooth decay or cavities can develop on all surfaces of any tooth. A decaying tooth may not cause you pain, so you may have a cavity and not realize it. The dentist checks for tooth decay at your regular check-ups and will periodically use x-rays to check for decay between teeth. The dentist treats tooth decay by cleaning out the cavity and placing a restoration or filling in the tooth.

By fighting plaque you can keep your teeth for a lifetime. You can start fighting plaque and keeping your gums and teeth healthy at any age by following some simple guidelines:

  • Schedule regular check-ups. Visit the doctor regularly for professional cleanings and oral exams.
  • Brush your teeth twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste to remove food particles and plaque from the tooth surfaces.
  • Clean between your teeth daily with floss. Flossing removes plaque and food particles from between the teeth and under the gum line.
  • Eat a balanced diet with limited snacks. Nutritious foods such as raw vegetables, plain yogurt, cheese or a piece of fruit should be chosen for snacks.
  • Ask the doctor about dental sealants, a protective plastic coating that can be applied to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth where decay often starts.

What Receding Gum Treatments are Available in Sacramento?

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Although some people are predisposed to receding gums due to heredity, prematurely receding gums may be prevented with proper oral hygiene — daily brushing, flossing and regular visits to the dentist. Many dentists will advise patients to focus on proper flossing, saying that it is even more important than brushing alone. For people that suffer receding gums due to overly exuberant brushing, consider switching to a softer bristled toothbrush and ask your dental hygienist for tips to improve your technique. Receding gums are typically a normal part of the aging process, many people may notice them much earlier than usual. Gums may recede due to genetics but they may also be caused by periodontal or gum disease. Sometimes receding gums can be identified at first glance, but they may be detected by feeling the top of the teeth at the gum line. If the tooth feels notched at the gum line, then the gums are likely receding, thus hastening the decay of healthy teeth.

Treatment should start with addressing the problem that caused the gum recession. If poor plaque control was a contributing factor, improved oral hygiene must be performed, combined with regular professional dental cleanings. If severe tartar was the cause, then a procedure called scaling and root planing may be necessary to clean the teeth and heal inflammation in the gums. If malocclusion or incorrect bite was a factor, a bite adjustment or bite splint may be recommended. Receding gums may also be caused by teeth that are misaligned, or by excessive plaque build-up at the gum line. Misaligned teeth can be addressed by an orthodontist through the application of braces or other treatments. Regular cleanings to remove plaque build up as well as treatments for possible periodontal disease should be undertaken where appropriate. New research is focused on using stem cells to culture the patients’ own gums to replace receded gums.

For those with severely receded gums, a graft from another part of the mouth may be the only option for treatment. For others with healthy teeth and gums, there are currently two methods for the treatment of receding gums. In one treatment, the dentist drills holes in the teeth and then fills them with a material that helps keep the gums from receding further. This is perhaps the most commonly used method by dentists in the United States. The second, and newer method for the treatment of receding gums has not yet been approved by the American Dental Association. Instead of drilling holes in the teeth, the smooth surface of the tooth is roughened with a dental drill. A light coating of adhesive or filling material is then applied to the tooth and allowed to dry slightly. After this step, the teeth are “cured” by exposing them to a special blue light at a high intensity. This is followed with another layer of adhesive material.

Treating receding gums is important, not only for comfort, but also to preserve the health of your teeth. When gums recede, the exposed portion of the tooth is much more sensitive, causing discomfort when consuming hot or cold foods and liquids. It can also lead to greater risk of tooth decay and other oral conditions such as a poor bite, sore jaw, periodontal disease and tooth loss.