Your Burnaby Invisalign® Provider
What is Gum Disease?
Gum disease, or periodontal disease, is an infection of the supporting tissues around the teeth. Gum disease is usually caused by poor oral hygiene habits that allow plaque to build up on the teeth and harden, eventually affecting the gums.
If it isn't treated, gum disease can lead to several kinds of oral health conditions like inflamed and bleeding gums, a receding gum line, bacteria-filled pockets between the teeth and gums, and even bone loss.
Gum Disease Therapy
The periodontal treatments our dentists administer depend upon the type and severity of the disease. Our team will work with you to create a treatment plan based on your particular case.
Once the periodontal treatment has been completed, our dental team will recommend that you have regular dental examinations and preventive therapy, usually four times a year.
- Preventive Gum Therapy
If the disease is caught in the early stages, preventive therapy will be recommended.
Regular hygiene cleanings and exams are important for maintaining the health of your gums.
By practising good oral hygiene at home and eating a balanced diet, you can also significantly reduce your chances of ever getting gum disease. - Non-Surgical Gum Therapy
For patients with mild gum disease, a deep cleaning performed by a dental hygienist may be enough to reverse it.
The dental hygienist will scrape away the plaque and tartar around and below the gum line, and smooth out any rough areas left behind through a process called scaling and root planing. - Surgical Gum Therapy
For patients with more advanced forms of gum disease, more invasive surgical treatments may be necessary to reverse it.
There are a few different types of surgical gum therapy such as gum grafting and bone grafting.
Cosmetic Gum Therapy
Do your gums rest too high or too low on your teeth, making you unhappy with your smile? You may be a candidate for gum grafting surgery. This cosmetic dental procedure may be able to even out an uneven gum line and reduce the perceived length of the teeth.
Placing Dental Implants
Periodontics treatments also include the implementation of dental implants beneath the gum line in order to replace missing teeth. Once a dental implant is placed, the gums have healed, and a tooth replacement is added, this procedure can provide a number of oral health benefits.