Gum Disease Treatment – Columbia, TN

Why Choose Goodman Family Dentistry for Gum Disease Treatment?

• Screening of Gums with Every Checkup
• Warm & Attentive Dental Team
• Flexible Financing Available

What is Gum Disease?

In essence, gum disease is an infection of the gums surrounding your teeth. The condition usually results from major plaque buildup, which is itself caused by poor eating habits, bad oral hygiene, etc. Other health-related factors – especially genetics, hormones, and smoking – can also make it more likely.

Gum disease has two distinctive stages: gingivitis and periodontitis. The first amounts to slight gum inflammation, something that can be reversed with proper oral care. In contrast, stage two – periodontitis – is a full-blown infection that attacks your jaw and gum tissues. This latter form is irreversible; dentists can only help you manage it.

Symptoms of Gum Disease

Since gum disease has two stages, it’s known to cause a wide range of symptoms. A patient's signs will depend on the severity of their condition, its progress rate, and other factors.

Consider a case of gingivitis as an example. For this form of gum disease, common signs include:

• Chronic bad breath
• Swollen gums
• Red and bleeding gums
• Gum tenderness
• Gum recession

Periodontitis causes more severe symptoms than those above. In particular, it’s known to prompt:

• Tooth sensitivity (often due to gum recession)
• Chewing pain
• A shift in your bite
• Changes in your restoration’s fit
• Loose permanent teeth
• Permanent tooth loss

How Do We Treat Gum Disease?

Before proceeding, Dr. Goodman will conduct an oral exam to assess your smile. This step lets us check the state of your gum disease and how it’s affected you. Once we know those facts, we’ll suggest one (or more) of the following treatment options:

Antibiotic Treatment

If your gum disease is severe, we may suggest antibiotic treatment along with scaling and root planing. This procedure applies antibiotics to your infected gum pockets, reducing the presence of harmful oral bacteria. Such medicine only takes two weeks to work and strengthens your weakened gums, so it prevents worse symptoms from cropping up.

Scaling & Root Planing

Known as the standard gum disease treatment, scaling and root planing is a “deep cleaning” of your gum tissues. Initial scaling uses special tools to remove plaque above and below your gumline. Afterward, root planing will smooth out your tooth roots to make reinfection less likely. The overall treatment requires one to four dental visits, and it can be combined with other options for fuller healing.