Gum Disease Treatment – Arlington, TX
Crucial Help for Inflamed Gum Tissue
Certainly, a lot of your oral health depends on your teeth. Your mouth will suffer greatly if a tooth has a cavity or an infection. Still, your gum tissue also plays a big role in keeping things going. That’s why We Smile Dental offers gum disease treatment in Arlington. Dr. Atluri uses this service to keep your smile safe from infected gums. If you’d like to learn more, please keep reading or book a consultation visit.
Why Choose Smile Dental of Arlington for Gum Disease Treatment?
- Advanced Dental Technology
- Highly-Trained Dentist & Friendly Dental Team
- Flexible Financing Options Available
What is Gum Disease?
Put simply, gum disease is a bacterial infection of your gum tissue. This infection stems from a buildup of plaque – an issue that often results from poor oral care. Even so, the condition does have risk factors besides hygiene habits. These elements include genes, tobacco use, hormone changes, etc.
Gum disease occurs in two distinct stages. The first one is gingivitis, which is a strong gum inflammation. What follows is known as periodontitis - an infection that destroys the tissues of your gums and jaw. Good oral hygiene can reverse signs of gingivitis, but periodontitis can only be managed at best.
Symptoms of Gum Disease
Gum disease can have a wide range of symptoms. Ultimately, the signs you display will depend on which stage of the condition you have.
For instance, consider gingivitis. The common signs of this stage of gum disease are:
- Bleeding gums
- Dark red gums
- Gum tenderness
- Gum recession
- Gum swelling
- Chronic bad breath
In contrast, periodontitis has its own distinct symptoms. These are:
- Chewing pain
- Loose permanent teeth
- Tooth sensitivity (often due to gum recession)
- Changes in your restoration’s fit
- Permanent tooth loss
- A shift in your bite
How Do We Treat Gum Disease?
During your consultation visit, Dr. Atluri will perform an oral exam. This step lets her confirm the state of your gums – their sensitivity, level of inflammation, etc. Once she’s assessed these tissues, she’ll discuss potential treatment options with you.
At our office, treatment usually takes the form of scaling and root planing.
Scaling & Root Planing
In essence, scaling and root planing is the standard way to treat gum disease. It amounts to a multi-step deep cleaning around your gumline. Specifically, it removes the plaque and tartar that inflame (and infect) your gum tissue.
Scaling and root planing are done over two dental visits. For the scaling portion, our dental team eliminates plaque and tartar with a sonic scaler. The later “root planing” will smooth the root areas of each tooth. By doing so, this step helps your gums healthily reattach to your teeth.
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