A routine dental cleaning is a great way to help control plaque buildup and keep smiles healthy and bright. However, what if you begin to experience serious gum inflammation, and the risk of gum disease or periodontitis begins to rise? In order to manage periodontal health and protect your smile from serious complications, your Prairie Village, KS, prosthodontist may recommend a deep cleaning!
Warning Signs of Gingivitis and Periodontal Disease
When should you be concerned about the health of your gums? If you begin to notice sores or redness, or bleeding and sensitivity when you brush and floss, this could mean the presence of gingivitis, or possibly the early stages of periodontal disease. You should contact our team right away. After performing a thorough exam and measuring the depth of your periodontal pockets, we can diagnose the presence of the disease and assess the severity. For some, we can reverse inflammation with a deep cleaning, also known as a scaling and root planing. If the disease has already formed, we can use this procedure to help manage the issue and safeguard your smile against periodontitis, the advanced stage responsible for adult tooth loss.
Prophylaxis
When plaque buildup accumulates on our teeth, this sticky buildup could begin to irritate and inflame the gums, causing inflammation and eventually, gum disease. In order to control the issue and safeguard your smile’s health, we need to remove the buildup from your teeth. A prophylaxis means we employ an ultrasonic scaling device to begin breaking up and removing buildup from the surface of the teeth. We then use root planing to smooth the roots and remove plaque that accumulates below the gum line and in inaccessible areas of your smile. For some, the procedure can be completed in one visit. But those with severe buildup may need between two and four visits. We complete the process by polishing your teeth, and routine cleaning visits every three to four months will be necessary to control buildup and manage periodontal health.
Other Preventive Actions
At home, always make time to thoroughly brush your teeth twice daily for about two minutes, and more importantly, also floss up and down each side of every tooth, dipping below the gum line in a “c” motion to remove all trapped food particles. Avoid cigarettes and tobacco products and always let us know if you begin to experience the warning signs we’ve discussed above.
Does Your Smile Need Scaling and Root Planing?
Don’t let poor periodontal health lead to issues with your smile’s appearance or the risk of tooth loss, talk to our team about preventive care. To learn more about improving periodontal health, then contact your Prairie Village, KS, prosthodontist, Dr. Dexter, by calling (913) 362-8200. We also serve residents of Westwood, Mission, and surrounding communities.