Periodental

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Your Affordable Dentist can assist in providing periodontal therapies that can treat oral diseases through cosmetic and surgical techniques. Many patients wait until they experience symptoms of periodontal disease. However, check ups with a periodontist are an integral part of any oral health program, especially if you have heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis or use tobacco products such as cigarettes or smokeless tobacco.

Periodontal therapies are not necessarily surgical. Some treatments can be used during the onset of gum disease such as removing plaque and tartar. These techniques can include deep cleaning, planing of roots, antibiotics and scaling.
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When you make your first periodontal appointment at your Affordable Dentist, you can expect to receive an evaluation that will determine which periodontal therapies are necessary. Be prepared to give information about your medical and dental history to assist in recognizing the true cause of oral conditions.

In the event that you use tobacco products and need to receive a more invasive procedure such as gum surgery, you will need to quit using such products before the surgery and during the healing period after the surgery. You will receive an X-ray to determine the true extent of tooth loss and decay before any procedure is chosen.

Help from a periodontist might be necessary in cases of:

• Severe gum disease.
• Specialized treatments such as root planing (cleaning the infected surface of a root)
• Root surface debridement - they open the gums by surgery in order to access the underlying tooth or bone structure.
• Surgical implants and their maintenance.
• Gingivoplasty - This is an extreme assault on gum disease if other techniques are not working. In this procedure the problematic areas of your gum are removed and the remainder reshaped within the mouth so that there are no gaps between the tooth and gum. This can help to prevent further infections and make the area easier to clean as well as being aesthetically pleasing.

Dental Hygiene

Although the most important dental hygiene techniques are performed at home through brushing, flossing and avoiding activities harmful to oral health, none of these techniques are effective at removing plaque or tartar. Rather, regular trips to the dentist are required for these preventative procedures to prevent the risk of tooth loss or degradation that could require much more expensive and invasive procedures. If you experience toothaches, sensitivity to cold or heat or gum pain, it is time to visit your Affordable Dentist for dental hygiene procedures. No amount of at-home care can prevent dental problems from occurring.

In addition to cleaning and removing built up plaque from your teeth, your Affordable Dentist will also use preventative techniques such as using X-rays and measuring bite to determine if you need further procedures. This is because any unnatural changes in your teeth can result in further damage that could require much more substantial care or procedures.

Just like proper diet and regular exercise is required to maintaining a healthy body, dental hygiene is required for maintaining a healthy mouth. Even if you think that you have a healthy mouth, there may be underlying problems that can be identified and corrected by your Affordable Dentist.

​Dental Hygiene Tips

• Clean your tongue after cleaning your teeth. You can do this with a toothbrush. There are also special plastic tongue scrapers available in pharmacies.
• Avoid smoking. Smoking is a major risk factor for developing gum disease.
• Limit the amount of sugary foods and drinks that you have. Sugars and sugary foods in the mouth are the main foods that bacteria thrive on to make acid which can contribute to tooth decay.
• If children need medicines, wherever possible use sugar free medicines.
• Chewing sugar free gum increases the flow of saliva. Saliva helps to ‘flush’ the mouth to help clear any debris remaining from the meal.