Non-Surgical Procedures
PROTECT YOUR GUMS, PROTECT YOUR TEETH
Gum disease can cause your gums to bleed and become infected, swollen, or tender. As a result, the infected gum separates from the teeth, and a pocket develops. If left untreated, this infection can spread to the bone and cause bone loss. Furthermore, this infection can result in losing your teeth and can also apply to the rest of your body. Periodontal disease has been associated with heart disease, diabetes, premature births, and many other systemic health problems.
When inflamed gums (gingivitis) are not treated, the infection will work toward the bone, causing the gums to separate from the tooth, making a “periodontal pocket.” It is difficult for patients to keep these types of pockets clean. Scaling and root planing (also known as Deep Cleaning) is the thorough removal of plaque and tartar under the gum line. It can be done either in one or two visits. You can go to work the SAME day.
Scaling the removal of plaque and tartar from the pocket while planing allows the tooth’s root to be smooth and toxin-free, allowing the gum tissue to attach. This procedure can be done in either one or two visits. You can go to work the SAME day. This is the first form of treatment for periodontal disease. Sometimes, deep cleaning is not enough.
At the time of scaling and root planing, antimicrobial treatment is placed within the pockets to help remove the bacterial infection under your gums. We put a powder directly into the bags of the infected areas. This powder contains an antibiotic only in your pocket and not the rest of your body. This antibiotic is released over time in the infected pocket. As a result, the antimicrobial treatment keeps fighting the disease-causing bacteria well after you have completed the deep cleaning.
Good News! We can attempt to get the antimicrobial therapy from your Medical Insurance with minimal or no charge!
Periodontal maintenance is the procedures and protocols employed to clean and maintain the teeth and gums following a diagnosis and stabilization treatment of periodontal disease. Periodontal disease can not be ‘cured,’ only ‘arrested.’ The procedures may appear to the patient to be very similar to regular cleaning. Furthermore, the procedures must be differentiated because the dentist or hygienist must now evaluate, instrument, and monitor the tissues differently and often more frequently.
After dental treatment, keeping the gums as healthy as possible is critical. Whether you have a dental implant, periodontal disease, or full mouth crown and bridges, routine cleanings are necessary to maintain dental health. Every 3-6 months is required to keep a healthy mouth.
Too much pressure on specific teeth can exacerbate periodontal disease causing more mobility of teeth and increasing the pocket where food can get trapped underneath. Relieving the stress around certain teeth can decrease the mobility around certain teeth. Occlusal trauma, such as grinding and clenching, can also contribute to periodontal disease. Occlusal or night guard may be needed to help reduce the stress around certain teeth. Additional Treatment may need to be done to obtain periodontal health.
The Occlusal Adjustment procedure makes corrections to the bite associated with loose, shifting teeth or teeth biting too hard. Balancing and evenly distributing the biting and chewing forces on a tooth reduces the looseness and relieves excessive pressures on the supporting gum and bone structures. This painless procedure makes corrections to the bite using a dental drill using a fine stone, unlike the one for drilling out cavities.
Some signs that an occlusal adjustment may be required include the following:
- Loose or shifting teeth: sometimes, one character is increased spacing between the upper front teeth. Occasionally, you may feel that your teeth do not hit correctly.
- Grinding or clenching of your teeth: this habit (usually stress-related) can cause an unevenly distributed and excessive biting force on several of your teeth and subsequently on the bone support which holds the teeth in your jaw.
- Headache may sometimes accompany the grinding or clenching of your teeth. In most cases, the headache will occur in the temporal regions of your head (lateral to the eyes).
- Pain: One or more teeth may hurt upon eating or biting down normally. This is usually caused by the eruption of a tooth beyond the normal plane of the bite, such that only one or two teeth come into contact prematurely.
- Sensitivity to temperature (sometimes hot, but mostly cold). Again this is due to premature contact between one or more teeth. With the knowledge that one can bite with a force of up to 200 pounds per square inch, the nerve within the tooth gets irritated and hypersensitive.
Gum disease can cause your gums to bleed and become infected, swollen, or tender. As a result, the infected gum separates from the teeth, and a pocket develops. If left untreated, this infection can spread to the bone and cause bone loss. Furthermore, this infection can result in losing your teeth and apply to the rest of your body. Periodontal disease has been associated with heart disease, diabetes, premature births, and several other systemic health problems.
Too much pressure on specific teeth can exacerbate periodontal disease causing more mobility of teeth and increasing the pocket where food can get trapped underneath. Relieving the stress around certain teeth can decrease the mobility around certain teeth. Occlusal trauma, such as grinding and clenching, can also contribute to periodontal disease. Occlusal or night guard may be needed to help reduce the stress around certain teeth. Additional Treatment may need to be done to obtain periodontal health.
Occlusal guards, also called night guards, occlusal splints, or bite splints, are specialized orthotic devices designed to prevent the mouth from clenching and grinding teeth at night (bruxism) to alleviate the pain, damage, and discomfort that come as a result.
When someone wears a mouth guard overnight, their teeth are protected by the clear acrylic resin that has been molded to cover them perfectly. This material prevents damage such as chipping or scratching teeth and the physical pain typically accompanying grinding and clenching.
A few warning signs may indicate you are a strong candidate for using a mouth guard. Below are just some of the symptoms to keep an eye out for:
- Consistently getting headaches in the morning.
- Awakening with mild or significant tooth pain.
- Experiencing sore or sensitive jaw muscle and face pain.
- Feel that you have not gotten a whole night’s sleep, even when you go to sleep and wake up at regular times.
These symptoms do not necessarily mean you must use an occlusal night guard. That being said, if you do find that you are regularly experiencing one or more of these symptoms, it is a good idea to consult your Island Dental Associates dentist to determine whether some type of mouth guard might be worth using to alleviate discomfort or tooth scraping or chipping.
No Need to Fear, IV & Sedation Dentistry is Here
Island Dental Associates offers IV Sedation. Get your treatment done within one visit in a relaxed and comfortable environment. Island Dental Associates is here to ease your fear.
What can Periodontal Services do for me?
With periodontal services, you can have healthy gums and teeth for a lifetime, eliminate bad breath, fix any loose teeth, reduce bone loss around your teeth, and significantly improve your overall oral health.
- Eliminate mouth odors and loose teeth
- Improve your oral hygiene
- Reduce bone loss around your teeth and loss of teeth
Periodontal Education Corner
What Is The Difference Between A Periodontist And A Dentist?
Your dentist has referred you to a periodontist and you have some questions. What is a periodontist? And, what services do they provide that your dentist doesn’t provide? A periodontist is a dental specialist with three years of extensive post-graduate training after completing dental school. The specialized training they receive focuses on the prevention, diagnosis, […]
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