If your dentist discovers that you have periodontal disease, it's important that you seek treatment immediately. Like most other inflammation diseases, gum disease cannot be eradicated entirely, but must instead be regularly examined and treated in order to stop or slow the spread of the infection. The invasiveness of the treatment will depend greatly on how far the disease has already progressed.
At Dr. Frank R. DePaola's Hoboken dental practice, our cutting-edge dental technology gives us an edge when treating periodontal inflammation. The oral DNA testing that Dr. Frank uses allows him to tailor your periodontal treatment to deal with the specific types of bacteria that are aggravating your gums and teeth. To learn more about how DNA testing can improve your treatment experience, call our office near Jersey City at 201-792-9400 to schedule an appointment today.
Intensive Oral Hygiene
Periodontal disease generally has two stages: Gingivitis, the early stage, involves mild inflammation of the gums, while periodontitis affects the roots of the teeth below the gumline and can lead to tooth loss. If Dr. Frank discovers your gum disease while it's still in the early stages of gingivitis, you may be able to stop it by intensifying your dental hygiene routine.
People with mild gingivitis can treat it by:
- Brushing your teeth at least twice a day with a sonic toothbrush
- Using Waterpik to remove biofilm and food debris before brushing
- Flossing daily to remove plaque between the teeth and under the gumline
- Using antibacterial mouth rinse every day
- Eating a well-balanced diet low in processed sugar
- Visiting Dr. Frank for a professional teeth cleaning at least twice a year, possibly more often if your periodontal disease makes it necessary
- Quitting smoking and other tobacco products
There is also the possibility that your gum disease could be related to sleep apnea. Recent medical studies have found a correlation between the two conditions, as people over 55 who have sleep apnea are 2.5 times more at risk for periodontal disease. By getting tested for sleep apnea and seeking treatment with a machine like the MicrO2 Sleep and Snore Device, you could possibly reduce the extent of the damage your periodontal disease inflicts.
Perio Laser Therapy
If an improvement in basic dental hygiene is not enough to treat your periodontal disease, the next step is usually perio laser therapy. This procedure is most effective when there is significant buildup of biofilm causing significant bleeding on tissue response and tartar underneath your gums, where normal dental cleaning tools cannot reach. Over time, this biofilm creates "periodontal pockets" inside the gums as it eats away at your mouth's soft tissue and the roots of your teeth.
Perio laser therapy is a conservative and effective process designed to eradicate these pockets of biofilm and tartar and prevent the reappearance of active disease. The therapy involves our hygiene team removing biolfim and tartar with the help of Piezo microsonic scalers, which use state-of-the-art ultrasound technology to improve efficiency and maximize comfort. Anti-microbial irrigation is also utilized. Next comes the laser therapy, where the dentist treats your gum tissue with the laser energy, pain-free, which kills the biofilm that has 'marinaded' or soaked into the tissue allowing for an improved healing response.
Arestin Antibiotic Treatment
Dr. Frank may also treat your periodontal disease with antibiotics designed to reduce the presence of bacteria in your gums. For this he uses Arestin, a painless antibiotic treatment that is more effective because of the time-delayed release that allows a single dose to do the work of multiple treatments. Arestin is often used in conjunction with scaling and root planing procedures.
We live in an age where it is important to be careful about over-prescribing antibiotics. If used too frequently, they can lead to the proliferation of super-bacteria resistant to all treatment, making periodontal disease much more difficult to treat. Thanks to the cutting-edge DNA technology Dr. Frank uses in his office, he can determine with great accuracy whether your case of periodontal disease is severe enough to require the use of antibiotics.
Periodontal Surgery
If your periodontal disease has progressed to periodontitis by the time you get to Dr. Frank's office, surgery may help to save your gums and teeth. There are two primary surgeries for treating periodontal disease. The first, flap surgery, involves peeling back your gums in order to clean and repair the infected roots of your teeth, then sewing the gums back into place. This surgery is usually done with a local anesthetic.
If significant damage has been done to your teeth roots and gums, Dr. Frank may decide you need to bolster their growth with bone and tissue grafts. In this procedure, bone and soft tissue is taken from other places on your body and placed in your teeth roots and gums. Over time, it will integrate with these tissues, giving you back some of the structural integrity that may have been lost to periodontal disease.
Controlling Periodontal Disease
Like other diseases that result from chronic tissue inflammation, periodontal disease can only be controlled, not cured. Dr. Frank can help you slow or even stop the spread of plaque through your gums and teeth roots, but you need to be vigilant in case the disease flares up again. To help you prevent these recurrences, Dr. Frank offers Periodontal Maintenance Therapy, where your mouth is examined and treated 3-4 times a year. At each maintenance visit, we will utilize microsonic instrumentation, anti-microbial irrigation and laser therapy for any affected areas.
Periodontal Maintenance Therapy is an intensive form of preventive dentistry that is designed to halt the effects of periodontal disease with frequent exams and proactive deep cleaning procedures. Periodontal disease is unpredictable, and if left untreated can create or exacerbate more serious health issues, including:
- heart disease
- stroke
- osteoporosis
- premature birth
- low birth weight
- diabetes
While you may be used to visiting your dentist only twice a year, the complications that can stem from periodontal disease make it necessary to increase your visits. Once your periodontum has been infected once, it becomes much more susceptible to later infections, which can spread rapidly throughout your mouth. Scheduling more frequent examinations allows you to be proactive in treating your disease, and will save you money in the long run by preventing the sort of serious tooth decay that would require expensive surgical procedures to correct.
Periodontal Disease and MicrO2 Sleep Apnea Treatment
One way of controlling your periodontal disease is to remove any factors which might make it worse. Scientists have found that people with sleep apnea are not only more likely to have periodontal disease, but also likely to have deeper plaque pockets, more advanced tooth decay, and increased dental complications as a result.
There is little consensus on the scientific reasons for this, but it seems likely that by treating your sleep apnea, you may reduce the complications associated with periodontal disease. For patients with sleep apnea the MicrO2 Sleep and Snore Device function as an effective treatment solution, with unrivaled personal comfort and a design that helps you sleep with an open airway all night. If you have any of the classic signs used to diagnose sleep apnea, the MicrO2 Sleep and Snore Device may be right for you.
Hudson County Periodontal Treatment
At The Practice at Maxwell Place, we believe in a proactive periodontal treatment that will eradicate existing infections and slow or eliminate the spread of new ones. Our practice has state-of-the-art medical equipment and professionals with many years of experience recognizing and treating periodontal disease in and around the Jersey City area. You can rest assured that we have the knowledge and skill necessary to keep your gums healthy and free of infection.
Schedule Your Gum Disease Consultation In Hudson County!
If you notice any of the major symptoms of gum disease, such as red, swollen or bleeding gums, then call 201-792-9400 and contact our Hoboken dental office! We serve patients in Jersey City, Hoboken, Hudson County, and the nearby areas. Or, you can fill out the form in our contact page for your one-on-one consultation with our talented dentists!
