Do you Need Gum Disease Treatment? Woonona Dentists can help!
If gum disease has already affected you and you need treatment, Woonona patients can rest assured that help is available. Most people will present one or the other variation of gum disease at some point in their lives. The important thing is to pick up the symptoms, and start treatment the soonest possible.
But what is gum disease? Our Woonona dental team explain…
By “Gum disease” we mean the inflammation of the gum line, which in advanced stages may also affect the jawline bone supporting the teeth. Gum disease is identified in three stages, and Woonona patients should be informed about them. These are:
- Gingivitis,
- Periodontitis,
- Advanced periodontitis
The stages are presented here by order of severity, meaning that gingivitis is the first stage, while advanced periodontitis is the most advanced stage of the disease. The recommended course of action differs according to the stage. Gingivitis can be treated relatively easily, using professional dental cleaning techniques which remove tartar build up. Periodontitis and advanced periodontitis on the other hand need more focused attention.
In case a patient with gingivitis doesn’t get treatment, toxins from bacterial plaque will build up and start to affect the gum tissue and the ligaments and bone tissue that are supporting the teeth. If the disease advances that far, there are treatment options both surgical and non-surgical.
Non-surgical gum disease treatment at Woonona Dentists
Normally, treatment starts with something known as scaling and root planing (SRP). At this point, scaling is used to remove plaque from the teeth and root surfaces. After that, your dentist will smooth away any rough spots on the roots, in order to avoid further plaque buildup. This could take one or more visits to our Woonona dental clinic.
Surgical gum disease treatment in Woonona
If surgical treatment is needed then we’ll refer you to our trusted Wollongong/Shellharbour specialist clinic.
Gum lifting
After scaling and root planing, if remaining gum tissue isn’t properly jointed with the tooth, maybe plaque will slowly gather in the pockets causing further damage. To tackle this issue, we might propose to patient to undergo periodontal pocket reduction surgery. Despite the big name, it’s a relatively simple process, in which the gum tissue is folded back, the root thoroughly cleaned, and the gum reattached, so it fits snugly.
Gum grafting
In some cases, if gum disease has advanced and corroded the gum, exposing the highly sensitive tooth roots, our recommended gum disease treatment in Woonona would be gum graft. In this process, gum is taken from some other area of the mouth (mainly the palate) and is then attached like a flap to cover the exposed tooth or teeth.
Our team at Woonona Dentists is dedicated to making quality dentistry affordable for you and your family. If you’d like to know more about gum disease treatment call us on (02) 4210 9078 to schedule an appointment.
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