Gum Disease Treatment – Guilderland, NY
Protecting Your Smile’s Foundation
While people often focus more on cavities and tooth decay, gum disease is one of the most common oral issues in the U.S. It’s to the point that nearly half of Americans 30 and older have some form of it. Luckily, we at Oshins of Smiles offer excellent gum disease treatment here in Guilderland. This service will heal your smile by managing your irritated and inflamed gum tissues. To learn more about it, please keep reading or book a consultation today!
Why Choose Oshins of Smiles for Gum Disease Treatment?
- Thorough Gum Exams at Every Checkup
- OralDNA Testing: Better Diagnosis, Better Care
- Expert Hygiene Team with Years of Experience
What is Gum Disease?
Gum disease is an infection of the soft tissues surrounding your teeth. As such, it’s usually caused by a buildup of plaque – a sticky film of bacteria and food in your mouth. Other risk factors for the condition include genetics, tobacco use, hormone changes, and a weak immune system.
Unless it’s quickly treated, gum disease develops in two stages. The first one is gingivitis – a mild inflammation of your gums that’s often irritating. Gum disease can then worsen and become periodontitis, a full-blown infection that attacks your gums and jaw. Though a bout of gingivitis is reversible, this second stage can only be managed at best.
Symptoms of Gum Disease
Based on how far it develops, gum disease can cause various symptoms. The signs to watch for can thus vary from patient to patient.
Take gingivitis, for instance. This stage of gum disease has symptoms like:
- Gum tenderness
- Bleeding gums
- Dark red gums
- Gum swelling
- Gum recession
- Chronic bad breath
Meanwhile, periodontitis has more severe warning signs. These include:
- Loose permanent teeth
- Tooth sensitivity (often due to gum recession)
- Chewing pain
- A shift in your bite
- Changes in your restoration’s fit
- Permanent tooth loss
How Do We Treat Gum Disease?
Ahead of any actual treatment, Dr. Oshins will assess your mouth to see how it’s doing. This examination lets her confirm the state of your gums – their sensitivity, inflammation levels, and so on. Once she’s made her diagnosis, she’ll then suggest specific treatment options. These are usually scaling and root planing, antibiotic therapy, and salivary testing.
Scaling & Root Planing
Scaling and root planing can help with most cases of gum disease. As the go-to treatment for infected gums, they give your gumline a deep cleaning that manages your infection. Just note that these processes may not reverse your gum disease; they’ll only keep it from worsening if it's severe. Also, keep in mind that scaling and root planning are intensive and require weeks of recovery. If you want to learn more, please keep reading or call our office for details.
Do I Need Scaling & Root Planing?
Scaling and root planing is often called a “deep cleaning.” When we notice early signs of gum disease, including bleeding, swelling, and inflammation, we will try to address the issue upfront to keep it from progressing and causing permanent damage to your smile. The goal of scaling and root planing is to remove bacteria that have accumulated around or beneath the gumline. During this treatment, the roots of your teeth will be smoothed over. This helps to encourage your gums to heal quickly by reattaching to your teeth.
The Process of Scaling & Root Planing
Generally, scaling and root planing takes place over two appointments, and it can be broken down into two different parts. The first part is the “scaling.” This involves scraping away plaque and tartar using special dental instruments. We will also target areas beneath the gumline where bacterial deposits have formed.
Once we’ve finished scaling, we will begin root planing by smoothing the sections of the teeth that are normally hidden beneath the gum tissue. This helps the gums to adhere to your teeth more easily and makes it more difficult for bacteria to build up on them again. Ultimately, it can reduce your risk of developing gum disease in the future.
Aftercare Tips for Scaling & Root Planing
After scaling and root planing, some soreness is normal. Your gums may also be slightly swollen. This should all be temporary, and you will be back to normal in a few weeks. Here are some steps that you can take to speed up your recovery time:
- Gently brush twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoridated toothpaste.
- Rinse your mouth with saltwater after eating to prevent irritation and wash away food debris.
- Floss between each of your teeth every day.
- Stick to a soft diet for the first 48 hours after your treatment.
- Avoid foods that are particularly spicy, acidic, or hot.
- Refrain from intense physical activity immediately after your procedure.
Antibiotic Treatment
Gum disease can be caused by many different kinds of oral bacteria, and determining which one is troubling a particular patient can greatly influence our approach to care. That’s why we utilize OralDNA testing, which allows us to identify exactly what is causing someone’s infection. From there, in addition to scaling and root planing, we can employ a topical antibiotic that is specifically designed to eliminate a certain bacteria.
Salivary Testing
A person’s saliva is a good mirror of their health, containing biomarkers that provide invaluable insight about what’s going on with the rest of the human body. This is especially true when we’re trying to help our patients overcome serious gum disease. By testing saliva, our team can determine the specific strain(s) of infectious bacteria present in the patient’s mouth. This way, Dr. Oshins can personalize your gum disease treatment in Guilderland, leading to long-lasting improvement.
What is Saliva Testing?
Saliva testing is a preventive technique that can help reduce your risk of developing more serious health issues in the future. With a quick, painless swab, lab technicians can analyze the collected bacteria to determine whether an infection, cavities, oral cancer, gum disease, heart disease, HIV, or hormonal changes are present.
What to Expect During Saliva Testing
You will be pleased to discover that saliva testing in Guilderland is noninvasive. All that is required is for your dentist to swab your mouth to collect a small saliva sample. Regardless of where it is sent (in-house or to a local laboratory), professionals will analyze the bacteria to report their findings.
Once this data reaches our team, we will review the details and go over them with you during an appointment. Based on the information provided, we will develop a treatment or preventive plan to help minimize your risk for gum disease and other serious health issues.
Even after you begin treatment, we can continue with follow-up testing to closely monitor inflammation and bacteria levels.
The Benefits of Getting Your Saliva Tested at the Dentist
Saliva testing signals a positive shift in dental care and technological advances. Offering a way for dentists to remain at the forefront, helping patients get ahead of issues that can affect more than just their smile, there are immense benefits to this newly discovered technique, including:
- The process is completely painless and noninvasive
- Your dentist can help you prevent serious oral health conditions by analyzing the bacteria in your mouth
- It offers advanced diagnostics
- We can detect signs of gum disease and other oral concerns earlier
- We can identify signs of systemic issues that are often connected to poor oral health
Gum Disease Treatment FAQs
How common is gum disease?
Unfortunately, gum disease is very common in Guilderland and across the United States. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) believes that a whopping 40% of adults over the age of 30 have some form of the condition, and that number only grows with age, with 60% of people over 65 having a more advanced stage of gum disease known as periodontitis. In fact, in their lifetime half of all men and one third of all women in the US are expected to develop it, making it one of the most prevalent oral health problems in the country and across the globe!
Is gum disease a dental emergency?
Yes, because it can eventually lead to permanent tooth loss, even if it’s only in the gingivitis stage, gum disease in Guilderland is considered a dental emergency. The good news is that gingivitis may still be reversible with improved oral hygiene practices. However, the longer you wait to get gum disease treatment in Guilderland, the worse your condition could get, making it not only harder and more expensive to treat, but also more likely to result in permanent damage such as tooth loss and jawbone deterioration.
What’s the best way to prevent gum disease?
The good news is that preventing gum disease in Guilderland is a lot easier than you might think. A solid, at-home oral hygiene routine including brushing twice a day and flossing daily can go a long way towards protecting against this condition.
However, if you have difficulty cleaning your teeth on your own due to physical limitations, talk to Dr. Oshins about products or adaptive tools that might make caring for your smile easier.
If you have bad oral habits like smoking, speak with your physician or a counselor about resources to help you quit, as tobacco use and vaping can both increase your risk of developing gum disease.
Finally, don’t skip your 6-month dental checkups and cleanings with Dr. Oshins, as these are also instrumental in helping reduce tartar and bacteria levels in your mouth and protect against gum disease at any stage!
Will I eventually lose my teeth with gum disease?
The good news is that if you currently have gingivitis, it is probably still reversible, and you shouldn’t suffer any permanent damage with an improved oral hygiene routine. However, once it has advanced to periodontitis, your risk for tooth loss will increase. Unfortunately, periodontitis damages the soft tissue in your mouth which holds your teeth in place. Thus, when this becomes infected, it can cause them to loosen and fall out, making gum disease treatment in Guilderland even more important for safeguarding your smile!