Preserving the health and integrity of your smile generally means protecting it from common issues that could threaten your teeth and/or other oral tissues. In most cases, this means actively preventing them by preventing the excessive buildup or oral bacteria that lead to their development. However, if a problem does develop within your natural tooth structure or oral tissues, then protecting your smile will mean addressing the concern as soon as possible with appropriate, personalized treatment. In the case of gum disease, this can mean different things depending on the extent of your condition.

Scaling and root planing for minor gingivitis

The development of gum disease begins with the accumulation of oral bacteria along your gum line. Some of these bacteria are particularly harmful to your gums, and when enough of them accumulate, they can release plenty of molecules that hijack your immune system’s inflammatory function. This causes increasingly worse inflammation, which is a driving factor in the destruction that gum disease can cause to your smile. Scaling and root planing can often be recommended to address early cases of gingivitis, and involves carefully removing the bacteria from underneath your gums.

More targeted, ongoing periodontal care

Scaling and root planing, which is often referred to as deep cleaning, or periodontal cleaning, can be an effective solution for removing bacteria and bringing your gum disease under control. If your gingivitis is still minor, then it may also be all you need to protect your smile from more serious gum disease. However, for more advanced cases of gum disease, the condition may remain a threat even after scaling and root planing has removed the bacteria underneath your gums. The threat stems from the damage that the disease causes to your gums and, potentially, to your underlying jawbone structure. To mitigate this damage, you may require ongoing periodontal maintenance to keep your gum disease in check.

The restoration of damaged tissues and/or lost teeth

Because of the consequences of severe gum disease to your smile’s foundational tissues and jawbone structure, it’s the leading cause of adults losing teeth. Depending on the extent of this damage, restoring and maintaining your smile may require repairing your compromised gum tissues and jawbone structure, as well as replacing one or more lost teeth. The only way to know exactly what it will take to deal with your gum disease will be to have it precisely diagnosed and treated at your dentist’s office.

Learn how to deal with your gum disease

If you develop gum disease, then dealing with it successfully will take personalized treatment and care. To learn more, schedule your appointment by calling Healthy Smiles in Gary, IN, today at 219-938-2637.