Treating Periodontal Disease

The good news about periodontal disease is that, by coming here, you’ve taken the first important step in restoring your mouth to health. First we’ll assess the stage of the disease by measuring the depths of the “pockets” between your tooth and gums. Then we can proceed with a treatment plan.

We treat Gingivitis with periodontal cleaning (or scaling) to remove plaque and tartar beneath the gumline. We may plane the tooth roots to facilitate gum reattachment. We may also recommend antibiotics or antimicrobial rinses. If you follow home care instructions and our recommended cleaning schedule, you should become – and remain – disease free.

Periodontitis may require surgery in addition to scaling and root planing. When gum pockets become too deep, it’s not possible for you to effectively keep them clean. Surgery reduces the depth of the pockets so you can maintain good hygiene.

Advanced Periodontitis may require bone grafts or gingival grafts to restore lost bone or gum tissue to a state where it can support your teeth or dental implants, if your own teeth have been extracted.