Suffering from Gum Disease? Restore Your Oral Health with Periodontal Therapy

Oral health is not just about caring for your teeth. Your gums play an important role in keeping your smile strong and healthy. If you allow plaque and harmful bacteria to build up on your gums, you can develop a periodontal infection or gum disease. Gum disease can cause extensive damage to your gums and teeth, eventually leading to tooth loss. At the office of Jeffrey C. Robertson, DDS, in Irvine, California, we offer periodontal infection treatment to help restore gum health and extend the lifespan of your teeth. 

About Periodontal Disease 

A periodontal infection should never be taken lightly. Even in its early stage of gingivitis, gum disease poses a threat to your gums and teeth. Red, puffy gums and bleeding gums when you brush or floss your teeth are early warning signs of gingivitis. Early gingivitis treatment in the form of improved oral hygiene at home and routine dental cleanings can help reverse these symptoms to protect your gums and teeth. 

Left untreated, your condition can escalate to periodontal disease, which can cause:

• Inflamed gums that bleed
• Gum tenderness 
• Painful chewing
• Receding gums
• Tooth Sensitivity
• Loose teeth
• Tooth loss

If the infection spreads to your bloodstream, you run the risk of developing serious health issues like diabetes, heart problems, stroke, and respiratory illnesses. 

Periodontal Therapy: Options for Periodontal Infection Treatment

There are various options for treating periodontal infections and restoring your oral health. Dr. Jeffrey Robertson will evaluate your symptoms and condition and recommend the best treatment for you. 

Regular dental cleanings – Regular dental cleanings combined with diligent oral care at home are often enough to curtail gingivitis, especially if it’s caught early. Dental cleanings remove plaque and tartar above the gumline of your teeth to reverse gingivitis symptoms. 

Deep cleaning – Once the infection has advanced to the next stage of periodontitis, regular cleanings aren’t enough to curtail the spread of the disease. At this stage, Dr. Robertson may recommend deep cleaning in the form of scaling and root planing. Using special dental tools, Dr. Robertson scales your teeth to remove plaque and tartar build-up from below the gum line, where harmful bacteria can breed. Root planing entails smoothing out the root surfaces of your teeth to make it difficult for bacteria to accumulate again. 

Topical antibiotics – Depending on your condition, we may combine deep cleaning with antibiotics to eliminate bacteria buildup so your gums can heal.  

Flap surgery – Severe cases of periodontal disease may require flap surgery to restore oral health. An incision is made in your gums to separate your gums from your teeth. This enables Dr. Robertson to remove diseased gum tissue and thoroughly clean the roots. Your gums are then stitched so they can heal. 

Ideally, it’s best to prevent gum disease by diligently caring for your gums and teeth. However, if you do develop this infection, your Irvine, California, dentist can help with treatment. 

To schedule a consultation for periodontal infection treatment, contact Dr. Jeffrey Robertson in Irvine, CA, at (714) 908-7472.

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