Non-Surgical Periodontal Treatment in Arlington VA

What is Periodontal Disease?

Periodontal disease refers to diseases that affect the gums. Gingivitis, or inflammation of the gums, is one example.

Gum disease is very common, affecting more than half of patients over the age of 30 at some time in their lives. Some people are at higher risk, including:

• Smokers
• People with inadequate nutrition
• Patients taking certain prescription drugs

You can take steps to prevent periodontal disease by brushing twice a day and flossing every day. Your dentist may also be able to recommend an appropriate mouthwash routine. To fight gum disease, you should limit how much acidic and sugary food you eat.

Periodontal disease can cause your gums to become sore, swollen, and bloody. Your gum line may also recede, leaving your teeth and jaw vulnerable to infections. Luckily, there are several treatment options you can discuss with Dr. Mistry, depending on the severity of your illness.

Periodontal Treatment

It is important to address periodontal disease as quickly as possible. Issues like periodontitis are serious because they impact not only your oral health but are also linked to higher rates of heart disease and even health issues such as kidney problems and cancer.

Dr. Mistry may be able to recommend surgical and non-surgical techniques to treat your periodontal disease. Some strategies include:

• Root planing
• Curettage
• Medication (whether placed under the gum line or taken orally)

Contact Lighthouse Dental for Help with Gingivitis or other Periodontal Disease Treatment in Arlington

It is possible that in spite of your best efforts you may require more aggressive gum therapy. Like many other ailments, gum disease can be quite painless due to its slow progression.

After a thorough periodontal screening and examination, we may choose more aggressive therapies aimed at eliminating or reducing the amounts of bacterial poisons and plaque accumulating below the gum line, (generally cleaning and polishing of teeth is above the gum-line). This involves curettage and root planing and/or treatment with site-specific administration of medications to the affected gums. Curettage is the debridement of the soft tissue lining around the tooth. In disease, this tissue is chronically irritated by bacteria deep below the visible gum-line and needs to be removed so that proper healing can occur. Root-Planing is the removal and smoothing of micro-amounts of root surface so that a clean and un-infected surface is presented to the healing lining of soft tissue.

These two procedures are generally done simultaneously, may require local anesthesia and are skillfully done by our well-trained hygienists under Dr. Kevin Mistry’s supervision.

Gum disease does not happen overnight and treatment generally is spread out over time as the effectiveness of a procedure needs to be assessed before the next takes place. Generally, your condition is re-assessed in time and joint decisions are made about your next step. The services of a specialist (Periodontist) may be required should surgical intervention be required. Often surgery allows for complete healing of the gum and bone, reduced mobility of teeth and a greatly improved prognosis.

Early detection is key when it comes to gum disease. If you have noticed that your gums are tender or look different, call Lighthouse Dental today or fill out our contact form to make an appointment. Even if you don’t have any concerns, twice-annual dental checkups are vital to maintaining good oral health.

Dr. Kevin Mistry’s hygiene team will work with you to assure that you have access to the care that best suits your needs. They will also help you hone your home-care skills so that you can maintain the optimum level of health that you want.