Although most dental patients are familiar with treatment of tooth decay via fillings and crowns, many are not aware that gum disease is a serious threat to good dental health. A lot of time is spent by the dentist in Long Island treating gum disease. Fortunately, the early stages of gum disease are easy to treat. However, treatment can become more extensive and expensive when gum disease is more advanced. There is no guarantee that advanced treatment will be successful. That is why gum disease, which is also known as periodontal disease, is a major part of the dentist’s work to help patients achieve good dental health.
The detection of periodontal disease is important to the dentist in Long Island. To find out if a patient has gum disease, the depth of the pockets in between the tooth and the gum tissue is measured with a probe. If the pocket depth is three millimeters or less, that indicates there are few or no problems with the gum tissue. Gum tissue pockets with depths greater than three millimeters indicate some gum disease. Depending on the depth of the gum pockets, the dentist will recommend specific treatments.
With the beginning stages of periodontal disease, it may be enough for the patient to have a deep cleaning and to take antibiotic medication. A deep cleaning allows the hygienist to clean below the gum line since local anesthetic is injected. The antibiotic medication helps to reduce the bacteria that is accumulating in the mouth. Most patients with gum disease will need to get regular cleanings three or four times per year. If the gum disease is more advanced, it may be necessary to have gum surgery. This procedure results in the pockets being reduced by surgical means. With this type of surgery, it is not necessary to be hospitalized overnight. Most people can go back to work within a few days at the most.
If gum disease is not treated, patients may eventually lose gum tissue. If this happens, the teeth will be lost as well. That is why it is important for patients to get treatment for gum disease from the dentist
