Gum Disease Therapy in Edgartown, MA
At Edgartown Dental Group, one of the services we provide is gum disease therapy in Edgartown, MA. If you think you suffer from gingivitis or periodontal disease, you shouldn’t delay looking for a dentist near you. Patients usually develop gum disease due to plaque and tartar.
Plaque and tartar are aggregates that form over the teeth and gums. These can be removed by a dentist in Edgartown via dental cleanings. At Edgartown Dental Group, we always advise our patients to keep up with their cleanings and regular visits. If you haven’t been keeping up with dental cleanings and develop periodontal disease, it’s not too late to seek treatment.
Non-Surgical Therapy
When you visit us in Edgartown, MA, your dentist will discuss non-surgical and surgical treatments for periodontal disease. We prefer to start with non-surgical therapy in most patients, especially those who don’t have severe periodontitis.
The first step is scaling and root planing to remove plaques and prevent their recurrence. We can smooth roots through root planing to make it harder for future plaque to adhere to your teeth. Later, cleanings are also recommended to prevent recurrences.
Antibiotics are usually used to help eliminate the infection. In milder cases, we prefer topical antibiotics that are applied directly to the gums. In severe cases, we can use systemic antibiotics for more effective antibiotic concentrations in the body.
Surgical Therapy
Patients who don’t respond to non-surgical therapy will require surgical intervention. We might need to elevate the gums to reach and clean under them. After cleaning, the gums are reattached to their original positions. Bone and gum grafts might also be required. In the late stages of periodontal disease, gums and bones might be lost. To replace lost tissue, we can use natural or synthetic grafts.
Bone and gum grafts can only be used after the infection is treated. Placing grafts over damaged and infected tissues isn’t recommended as the mouth won’t heal properly.
We discuss all treatment options with our patients. If you have any questions or concerns, let us know, and we’ll be happy to answer you.