Gum Disease / Gum Treatment
Serving Bethesda, Clarksville
and the Greater Maryland area
Gum disease is a common, but often serious condition, affecting patients of all ages. Even the healthiest and best-maintained smiles may be at risk from gum disease.
Caused by bacterial infections of the gums, bone and ligament, periodontal disease can lead to a variety of problems, including:
- Receding gums
- Loose teeth
- Loss of teeth
- Loss of bone mass of the jaw
- Painful and bleeding gums
- Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD)
- Heart Disease and Stroke
Fortunately, most gum disease can be caught early during regular dental exams, and the condition can be halted and even reversed with a simple, non-invasive cleaning procedure.
We offer a full range of gum treatments for every stage of gum disease, providing solutions even for the most advanced stages of the condition.
Diagnosis and maintenance
A fundamental part of all of our regular maintenance exams, the periodontal examination is your first step to ensuring healthy gums for life. We will carefully examine your gumline for signs of disease. We provide our patients with the information they need to take the very best care of their gum tissue.
Gum treatments
If we do find gum disease, we offer treatments for every stage of the condition. Some of the possible treatments include:
- Prophylaxis—In its early stages, many cases of gum disease can be reversed using a simple cleaning procedure.
- Scaling and root plane—A more advanced version of a gum cleaning, a scale and root plane procedure involves cleaning deeply under the gums and planing the surface of the root to prevent future gum infections.
- Gum surgery—In more advanced cases of gum disease, we may recommend gum surgery in order to fully eliminate the disease, in conjunction with regenerative procedures.
- Bone grafting—In the most advanced cases of gum disease, bone is lost around the teeth leading to mobility and eventual tooth loss. Therefore, we may recommend a bone grafting procedure to regenerate the level of bone, stabilizing the teeth in addition to one or more of the gum treatments above.
Schedule an appointment
Your first step in maintaining your good gum health is to schedule an appointment with us for an exam. Call or email us today, and we'll set up a thorough dental examination and personal gum treatment consultation for you.
