Gum Disease Treatment – Wellesley, MA

What Is Gum Disease?

Your mouth naturally produces a sticky substance called plaque. Without adequate brushing and flossing, this plaque builds up on your teeth. The bacteria in plaque produce poisons, or toxins, that irritate the gums and cause infection. As the infection increases in severity, it breaks down the bone and gum tissues that hold your teeth in place. This is called gum disease. Generally, gum disease is broken down into two primary stages: gingivitis and periodontitis.

Gingivitis

The initial stage of gum disease, known as gingivitis, is the mildest form of gum disease. During this stage, the gums become swollen, bright red, and may bleed with brushing or flossing. Gingivitis is frequently painless, or at most only slightly uncomfortable, and as a result, many people suffering from it don't seek advice or treatment. But with professional treatment and daily attention to oral hygiene, gingivitis can be reversed before it progresses into periodontitis.

Periodontitis

Untreated gingivitis may develop into periodontitis, the more extreme form of gum disease. In this stage, the infected gums begin to separate from the teeth. The newly created spaces between the gums and the teeth are called pockets. As the disease progresses, these pockets grow larger, allowing for greater damage to deep tissues as well as bone. When enough tissue and bone are affected, the teeth loosen and may fall out or need to be removed.

Symptoms of Gum Disease

Because gum disease can exist without pain or discomfort, it's important to be aware of the possible warning signs that may indicate a problem.

• Gums that appear red or swollen
• Gums that feel tender or look puffy
• Gums that bleed easily (during brushing or flossing especially)
• Gums that recede or pull away from the teeth
• Persistent bad breath
• Loose teeth
• Any change in the way teeth come together in the biting position
• Any change in the way partial dentures fit

If you suspect that you may be suffering from gingivitis or periodontitis, make an appointment with our dental office or your dentist immediately. We can diagnose the problem, determine how far the disease has progressed, and recommend appropriate treatment.

How We Treat Gum Disease

If you've been diagnosed with gum disease, there are a variety of treatment options available depending on the details of your situation and the severity of the problem. We always start with the least invasive options, which are non-surgical. However, in more serious cases, surgery may be necessary. During your appointment, we will go over all of your options in detail to help you choose the one that’s best for you.

Scaling & Root Planing

The first line of defense against gum disease is a unique type of cleaning called “scaling and root planing.” In this procedure, an ultrasonic cleaning device is used to remove plaque and tartar from your teeth where regular cleaning devices can't reach, such as under the gumline, on the tooth, and around the root. Then, the rough surface of the tooth and the root are smoothed out (planed). This provides a healthy, clean surface that makes it easier for the gum tissue to reattach to the tooth.

If you address your gum disease before it becomes severe, scaling and root planing may be the only treatment you need. However, as with any dental procedure, after-care is vital. In order to keep your teeth in good shape and resist future occurrences of gum disease, you must brush and floss daily, eat a healthy diet, avoid tobacco use, and have regular dental checkups. Even after successful scaling and root planing, if you don't attend to your teeth properly, it's quite likely that you'll develop gum disease again.

Soft Tissue Graft

A frequent symptom of gum disease is gum recession (also called gingival recession). As the gums recede, more of the roots of the teeth are revealed. This can make teeth appear longer and can also create sensitivity to hot or cold liquids or food. Additionally, it exposes the tooth to increased risk of damage from gum disease, as bacteria, plaque, and tartar attack the surface of the tooth and the root.

During a soft tissue graft, tissue from the top of your mouth or another source is sewed to the gum area, covering the roots and restoring the gum line to its original, healthy location. The new tissue covers the sensitive areas and promotes natural growth of your own gum tissue.

Jawbone Graft for Regeneration

When the jawbone and tissue supporting the teeth have been lost due to severe gum disease, we can restore these areas with a regeneration procedure. During this process, we begin by folding back the gum tissue and removing the bacteria, plaque, and tartar. Depending on your situation, we may then perform a bone graft to stimulate new bone growth, or we may apply a special kind of protein that stimulates tissue growth to repair the areas that have been destroyed by the disease.

Osseous Surgery

In a healthy mouth, the teeth are firmly surrounded by gum tissue and securely supported by the bones of the jaw. Periodontal disease damages these tissues and bones, leaving open spaces around the teeth that we call pockets. The larger these pockets are, the easier it is for bacteria to collect inside them, leading to more and more damage over time. Eventually the supportive structure degrades to the point that the tooth either falls out or needs to be removed.

During osseous surgery (also known as “pocket reduction surgery”), we fold back the gum tissue and remove the bacteria hiding underneath, as well as the hardened plaque and tartar that have collected. We may also remove any tissue that is too damaged to survive. We then sew the healthy tissue back into place. Now that the tooth and root are free of bacteria, plaque, and tartar, and the pockets have been reduced, the gums can reattach to the teeth.

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