Gum Disease

Got Gum Disease?

Because gum disease is usually painless, you may not know you have it. Do you ever notice that your gums bleed when you brush? Do your gums ever feel tender or swollen?

Schedule an appointment with us immediately if you notice any of the following signs of gum disease:

• Gums that bleed when you brush your teeth.
• Red, swollen or tender gums.
• Gums that have pulled away from the teeth.
• Bad breath that doesn’t go away.
• Pus between your teeth and gums.
• Loose teeth.
• A change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite.
• A change in the fit of partial dentures.

Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, eventually leads to tooth decay and tooth loss when left untreated. The first stage is known as Gingivitis and will progress to periodontitis when left untreated. Periodontitis is an advanced stage of periodontal disease that causes gum lines to recede away from the teeth due to the build up of plaque and tartar on your teeth. The receded sections of your gum become infected and pockets are formed that hold infection. Advanced periodontitis destroys the bone tissue as the gum line recedes causing the loose teeth that are eventually lost to inflict damage.

Treatment of Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease is completely treatable. Once periodontal disease has been detected and diagnosed, advanced procedures individually tailored to your stage of gum disease are performed:

• Scaling and Root Planing
• Arestin Antibiotic Therapy
• Laser Non Surgical Treatment of Gum Disease
• Periodontal Surgery

Schedule an Appointment with our Dentists and highly skilled board certified Periodontist to treat your gum disease before it is too late!

Scaling and Root Planing

In cases of acute periodontal (gum) disease that do not respond to conventional treatment and self-care such as flossing, may require a special kind of deep cleaning calling scaling and root planing. Our advanced ultrasonic cleaners and scalers are used to go beneath your gum line to remove the infection causing the gum disease. The root surfaces are planed and smoothed to let the gum tissue heal: bacteria-free. A special medication, Arestin is often placed following the deep cleaning.

Arestin Antibiotic Therapy

ARESTIN^® (minocycline hydrochloride) is an antibiotic, approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that kills the bacteria that cause the infection:

1. It’s placed directly in the infected areas—or “pockets”—in your gums, killing the bacteria. Placement of Arestin is completely PAINLESS.

2. It’s applied  by a trained dental professional right after scaling and root planing (SRP), the dental procedure that disrupts stubborn plaque and bacteria below your gumline—where brushing and flossing can’t reach

Bacteria are the cause of your gum disease and ARESTIN^® kills the bacteria that are at the root of the problem, which an SRP alone may not reach. Because Arestin works right at the source of infection, it works immediately and keeps fighting bacteria long after you leave the dental office.

ARESTIN^® fights infection and inflammation for 30 days, and provides significantly better results than SRP alone for up to 90 days.

ARESTIN^® with SRP is nearly 3x more likely to result in successful treatment than SRP alone

Laser Non Surgical Treatment of Gum Disease

The minimally invasive Perio laser now gives us a gentle and effective way to stop the damage being done by the infections in the gums.

Patients who have had this form of laser treatment report that they have little or no discomfort after the procedure.

We are proud to be among the first of the growing number of dental offices in the country to provide this breakthrough laser treatment to our patients. Our board certified dentists and Periodontist, Dr. Lucy Villa, are the premier NY practitioners of Laser Dentistry and use only the latest generation of FDA approved laser technology in the treatment of Gum Disease.

What is Laser Gum Treatment?

It’s an advanced technique for your doctor to treat periodontal (gum) disease and save many teeth that were previously considered hopeless.

A laser light is used to gently remove harmful bacteria and diseased tissue from the gum pockets.

This allows the body to heal naturally so that the gum pockets improve and the teeth become more stable.

Patient Benefits

• Dramatically less traumatic yet highly effective alternative to cut and sew gum surgery.
• No cutting of the gum tissue with scalpel and no stitches means easy recovery with little or no bleeding.
• Preserves gum tissue instead of cutting it away.
• Reduces root exposure and sensitivity.
• Reduces infection.
• Reasonable expense.
• Extremely Precise

Periodontal Surgery

In advanced stages of periodontal disease, traditional surgery may be required. Our highly experienced and accomplished board certified Periodontist, Dr. Lucy Villa is onsite to provide you with optimal care and treatment for all surgical procedures.

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Schedule your free consultation today to find the best treatment for your gums.