Gum Disease Treatment Springfield
The Key to Keeping All of Your Teeth
The leading cause of tooth loss in adults may surprise you: gum disease. That’s why it’s so important that you come to our office every six months for a checkup (or sooner if you start to experience abnormal dental symptoms). If you are interested in learning about this common oral health problem, including warning signs that you should look out for between visits, read on or get in touch with us to schedule an appointment.
Why Choose Dr. Laura Gramse Family Dental Care for Gum Disease Treatment?
- Skilled Dentist with 25+ Years of Experience
- Convenient Locations in Springfield & Palmer
- Kind, Warm, & Friendly Dental Team
What is Gum Disease?
Also called periodontal disease, gum disease affects an estimated 50% of the U.S. adult population. While the symptoms in the early stages are relatively minor, the infection can lead to tooth loss if it isn’t treated or managed early on. Fortunately, Dr. Gramse offers gum disease treatment in Springfield, which allows us to help patients get the infection under control so they can keep their smiles for decades to come.
Symptoms of Gum Disease
Are your gums red, sensitive, or inflamed? Do they bleed when you brush or floss your teeth? Are they starting to recede, causing your teeth to look longer? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you may already be dealing with this infection. So, it’s important that you act fast; schedule an appointment with Dr. Laura Gramse right away.
How Do We Treat Gum Disease?
At our Springfield dental office, we offer two treatments: scaling and root planing, as well as antibiotic treatment. During your appointment, we will discuss each one in-depth before sharing our recommendations. In the meantime, you can read on to learn a little more about them.
Scaling & Root Planing
Scaling and root planing are usually the first course of treatment we recommend for patients with gum disease. The procedure is somewhat similar to a regular dental cleaning, but it focuses entirely on the gum line and roots of the teeth hidden below. Scaling removes the bacteria-filled buildup that is the source of the infection, and planing kickstarts the healing process and prevents future buildup by smoothing out the roots of your teeth.
Antibiotic Treatment
While scaling and root planing are able to accomplish a lot, the truth is that gum disease bacteria can sometimes hide deep down and be very difficult to remove. With Arestin, a powder-like substance that is actually made up of thousands of microspheres of medicine, is applied directly to the gums. Over the course of a week or so, a powerful antimicrobial agent seeps down to get rid of even the most stubborn bacteria.
