Some forms of dental treatment, like routine checkups and cleanings, are necessary for everyone. Without them, you’d be at a much higher risk of developing a dental disease or allowing a minor issue to grow into a much more serious one. Other treatments, however, are recommended and designed according to need, such as specialized periodontal treatment. For patients in Encinitas/San Diego who experience periodontal (gum) disease, periodontal treatment can be customized according to their unique periodontal needs and preferences.

Preventive measures

Prevention is the best way to deal with any oral health concern. That’s especially true for periodontal disease for two reasons; it can progress quickly, and it can become a permanent condition if allowed to progress enough. Common preventive measures include consistently practicing good hygiene and attending checkup and cleaning appointments regularly. If you’re at an increased risk or if you develop early gingivitis, then periodontal (deep) cleaning may be necessary, as well.

Gingivitis treatment

When gingivitis forms, treating it involves carefully accessing your teeth roots underneath your gums to clean them of harmful oral bacteria (plaque and tartar). This process, known as scaling and root planing (or deep cleaning), is more complex than traditional dental cleaning. It involves systematically cleaning only a quadrant of your smile at a time, usually over the course of multiple visits. If gingivitis is detected and treated through deep cleaning early enough, it may be reversed, or at least controlled before it can cause more significant damage to your gums.

Periodontitis management

Severe gum disease, or periodontitis, occurs when gingivitis and more moderate stages of gum disease are ignored. The disease can cause increasingly worse damage to your gum tissues, periodontal ligaments, and jawbone structure, potentially leading to tooth loss. Controlling periodontitis may involves procedures such as laser periodontal treatment (LANAP) and pinhole gum grafting to help restore the health and integrity to your gums.

Learn if you need periodontal treatment

Periodontal treatment is different for everyone because it’s designed to address each unique case of periodontal disease with a highly personalized approach. For more information, schedule a consultation with Dr. Kania by calling her periodontal office in Encinitas/San Diego, CA, at (760) 642-0711.