Tucson Gum Disease Treatment

You may not realize it, but most Americans experience some form of periodontal disease in their lifetime. Periodontal disease, also known as gum disease or gingivitis, is an infection of the supportive tissues of the mouth due to toxic bacteria found in plaque.

Periodontal Disease

The best way to help prevent periodontitis is to brush and floss your teeth daily and to see your dentist regularly for professional teeth and cleaning and examination.

 

If left untreated, periodontal disease can result in severe problems such as tooth loss, bleeding gums, receding gums and bad breath.  Gum disease is the body’s inflammatory response to bacteria in your mouth.  Periodontitis can strike anyone at any age at anytime.  Like more severe periodontitis, gingivitis is a serious infection that requires attention.  The good news is that periodontal disease is treatable with professional periodontal treatment and good oral hygiene.

 

Ensure the health of your gums and smile.  Let Dr. Carson and his team assess your periodontal health and provide the appropriate treatment if needed.  Feel at ease knowing your smile’s health is in top condition.


Active Therapy

After Xrays, a clinical examination including periodontal charting and patient education, scaling and root planing (SRP) is often the initial treatment for periodontal disease. Bacterial plaque biofilms and calcified plaque under the gums are removed in order to resolve Infection and reduce inflammation.

 

One fourth or half of the mouth is anesthetized so that the dental hygienist can comfortably scrape below the gums. Scaling involves careful instrumentation of the crowns of the teeth where root planning is focused on the removal of deposits and smoothing of the tooth root. The procedure may be performed by using hand instruments or ultrasonic vibrating instruments to remove deposits from the teeth. Smooth root surfaces are easier for patients to keep clean. Swelling of infected or inflamed gum tissue is reduced following root planing.


Arestin

What is it?

ARESTIN® is an effective antibiotic treatment that comes in powder form. This powder is easily placed inside infected periodontal pockets just after therapy.

How It Works:

ARESTIN® contains “Microspheres”-tiny, bead-like particles that are smaller than grains of sand and are not visible to the eye. The Microspheres are filled with the antibiotic minocycline, and they release the drug over time into the infected periodontal pocket, killing bacteria that live there for up to 21 days.

Supportive Therapy

After the active infection is resolved supportive therapy is needed to prevent active infection from reoccurring. Supportive therapy is much less invasive and does not require your mouth to be anesthetized. Supportive therapy typically requires three to four month visits with your dental hygienist called periodontal maintenance to keep the active infection from reoccurring.