Periodontal disease, more commonly called gum disease, is nothing to take lightly. Untreated gum disease can lead to major oral health problems down the road. Dr. Michael Stern and the team at Smile Brighter Willoughby Hills in Willoughby Hills, OH, offer safe and effective non-surgical gum treatments designed to battle gum disease. It has been found that over 80 percent of American adults are affected by varying stages of gum disease. Let’s discuss the symptoms of gum disease, the benefits of receiving treatment, and the cost of such treatment.
Symptoms of Gum Disease
Gum disease, also called periodontal disease, is a bacterial infection that attacks your gums and, in some cases, supporting bone tissue. It can affect several teeth at a time as it spreads, so it’s important to understand the symptoms of gum disease so that you can get it treated before the disease begins to worsen. Symptoms of gum disease include:
- Pain: You can begin to feel tenderness and pain in your gums and teeth
- Swelling: If your gums look swollen and have taken a red or purple hue, you probably have some level of gum disease. Healthy gums should retain a firm pink look.
- Bad Taste and Smell: If you are dealing with long-term bad breath or a constant bad taste in your mouth, you may have gum disease.
- Spacing: Gum disease can cause spaces to develop between your teeth. Also, look for a receding gum line.
- Bleeding: If your gums bleed when you brush or floss, this could be a sign of gum disease.
- Loosened Teeth: As your gums pull away from teeth due to gum disease, pockets are created that allow for additional bacteria build-up and this can lead to teeth that begin to loosen.
Treatment
Dr. Stern likes to perform non-surgical gum disease treatment if possible. Non-surgical gum disease treatment options include scaling and planing, which both remove tartar and plaque from below the gum line. Additionally, Dr. Stern is a certified Perio-Protect provider. This treatment system allows for a solution to be delivered deep into periodontal pockets to eliminate hard to reach bacteria. This innovative treatment is safe and has proven to be entirely effective for many non-advanced forms of gum disease.
For some advanced cases of periodontal disease, Dr. Stern may have to employ non-surgical laser gum treatment to gently and accurately remove diseased tissue and stimulate the regrowth of tissue once all bacteria have been removed.
Cost
The cost of gum disease treatment tends to be affordable in most cases, and dental insurance will cover a certain percentage of many treatments. Actual cost will vary from case to case depending on the work that is needed and how much your dental insurance will cover. Make sure and discuss any associated costs with the dental staff for specifics.
If you need gum disease treatment, please call Smile Brighter at Willoughby Hills today at (440) 210-0999.
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