Periodontal Treatments in Mays Landing, NJ
Protect Your Gums
Dentists aren’t just concerned with the health of your teeth — your gums also play a huge role when it comes to your oral health. Your gum tissue is the bedrock of your smile and needs just as much care and attention as your teeth. That’s why, at our Mays Landing, NY dental practice, Dr. Nosti offers periodontal treatments to eliminate issues such as gum disease, while keeping your gums and smile healthy for years to come.
Not cleaning your teeth properly can cause your gums to become infected due to bacteria building up in the form of plaque and tartar. If left untreated, it can lead to a variety of serious health complications. Read our guide below to learn how Dr. Nosti and our professional dental team can prevent and treat gum disease at various stages.
What Is Gum Disease?
Periodontal (gum) disease is a chronic infection of the gums that’s caused due to a lack of proper oral hygiene as well as a buildup of plaque. Unless you visit our Mays Landing, NJ office for regular professional dental cleanings, it’s easy to miss spots where plaque accumulates, allowing it to harden into tartar. Tartar can’t be removed except by your dentist.
As this bacterial build-up accumulates around the soft tissues around your gums, it can damage your overall oral health. There are two major stages of gum disease:
- Gingivitis: This is an early stage of gum disease where your gums will start to look red and inflamed. You most likely won’t feel any pain and it’s easy to miss other symptoms. Fortunately, gingivitis is reversible with proper oral hygiene.
- Periodontitis: This stage of gum disease occurs when bacteria starts to destroy the underlying bone and tissue in your mouth. There are numerous phases of periodontitis, with the most advanced phase making tooth loss an almost certainty unless aggressive dental intervention takes place.
Risk Factors for Gum Disease
Besides failure to practice a consistent oral health regimen, there are many other factors and lifestyle choices that can increase your risk of developing gum disease. Other factors that can increase your risk of gum disease include:
- Diabetes
- Tobacco Use
- Stress
- Teeth grinding (bruxism)
- Genetics
- Age
During your consultation with Dr. Nosti, he’ll provide you with instructions on how to protect your gums based on your specific oral health needs.
Scaling & Root Planing
If you suffer from mild to moderate cases of gum disease, Dr. Nosti is able to treat your condition with scaling and root planing. This treatment is a professional deep cleaning which involves using specialized dental tools to thoroughly clean your gums while removing any kind of plaque and tartar. We’ll smooth out the rough surfaces of your teeth and roots to prevent bacteria from settling into the sanitized area, allowing your gums to reattach.
Surgical Treatments
You’ll likely need a surgical procedure to restore your oral health if your teeth or gums have become too severely damaged due to gum disease. During your initial consultation with Dr. Nosti, he’ll examine the health of your smile to determine whether you’d benefit from a surgical procedure. If Dr. Nosti determines that oral surgery is necessary, we can remove any excess bacteria while also reversing damage done to your smile, usually by conducting either a gum or bone graft.
Caring for Healthy Gums
Once your gum disease has been fully treated, Dr. Nosti recommends that you schedule professional cleanings four times a year at our Mays Landing, NJ practice. During these visits, we’ll carefully check the pocket depths in your smile to ensure that they’re free of any bacteria. In addition to these professional dental cleanings, you’ll also need to establish a consistent at-home oral hygiene routine. This consists of brushing your teeth twice a day, rinsing with an antibacterial mouthwash, and flossing daily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can gum disease be completely cured?
Once gum disease has reached the periodontitis stage, it can’t be reversed in most cases. Along with more invasive treatment, your dentist will most likely recommend more frequent visits to stop the disease from progressing further. If caught early on during the gingivitis stage, it can be easily reversed with a deep cleaning at our Mays Landing, NJ office.
Can gum disease naturally go away on its own?
Gum disease won’t get better unless you seek treatment. Dr. Nosti recommends visiting our practice as soon as possible once you start to notice the symptoms so that you can get prompt and effective treatment. Our staff will also give you instructions on how to care for your teeth so that you can maintain your oral health until your next deep cleaning.
How soon after a deep cleaning will my symptoms go away?
Any discomfort and swelling should subside within a few weeks. The length of time it takes for your symptoms to completely disappear depends on the extent of your infection and your at-home care routine. Along with following any recommendations by Dr. Nosti, you’ll want to rinse your teeth with warm salt water to keep your mouth free of bacteria and help promote gum healing. While you still deal with symptoms, you can use over-the-counter medications and ice to help with swelling.
What symptoms should I look out for with gum disease?
Healthy gums appear firm and pink, whereas the early warning signs of gum disease include gum tissues that look red and swollen. The gums may also bleed during brushing or flossing. If you notice any of these signs, call our Mays Landing office at (609)-927-8448 to schedule a consultation and receive treatment.
Treat Your Gum Disease & Improve Your Smile
Stay ahead of gum disease by visiting Dr. Nosti. Along with a professional cleaning and dental examination, Dr. Nosti and our team can provide you with tips on how to achieve a proper at-home oral care routine to ensure your gum disease doesn’t come back.
If you have any questions, please contact our Mays Landing office by calling us at (609)-927-8448 and we’ll be more than happy to assist you. We proudly serve patients who live in the nearby Mays Landing areas including Somers Point, Jersey City, and Hamilton Township, NJ.