The gums, ligaments, and bone around the teeth form the foundation for your teeth. We also refer to these structures as the periodontium. When the periodontium is unhealthy (i.e., gum disease), you jeopardize your teeth just as a bad foundation would threaten the stability of a house.
Signs of unhealthy periodontium include red or bleeding gums, persistent bad breath, gums that pull away from the tooth, loose teeth, and changes in the position or bite of the teeth. Any of these signs may mean something is wrong. With the proper care, however, it may be possible for your gums to return to a healthy state. For this reason, you may benefit from appropriate gum treatments. We offer non-surgical gum treatment options that may help you.
If you’re having a problem, come in and see us so we can address your issue right away. The treatment usually includes a deep cleaning to disrupt the biofilm or bacteria beneath the gums. We administer this procedure using a local anesthetic. In some cases, we use local antibiotic agents, called Arestin.
If the gum disease gets too severe, you may require Gum Treatment through surgery or extraction. This is why it is important to receive treatment at the first sign of a problem. In some cases, we work with a lab that offers a diagnostic DNA test. The lab results will help us determine the type of bacteria that is causing the gum disease. With this knowledge, we can prescribe an antibiotic that may help lower the bacteria count.