Gum disease is a common yet serious oral health problem. The sooner you seek treatment for gum disease, the more conservative your treatment options. Periodontal or gum therapy can restore health and beauty to your smile. Gum treatment can also improve your dental and overall health. Our Plano, TX dental office offers surgical and non-surgical gum therapy for gum disease treatment.
WaterLase: Laser Dentistry
Laser dentistry allows us to provide periodontal disease treatments without the pain, side effects, and downtime associated with traditional treatments and procedures. The Waterlase dental laser enables Dr. Dean to treat and repair damaged or diseased gum tissue that may have previously required oral surgery.
The Benefits of Laser Dentistry
The benefits of laser dentistry and traditional oral surgery are amazing and vast. Patients who experience dental anxiety often enjoy laser dentistry. Pain is one of the main reasons people suffer from dental anxiety. Laser dentistry is less invasive, virtually painless, and requires no sutures.
A dental laser can remove soft tissue, “cutting it away” without using a scalpel by vaporizing tissue with light energy. The laser will make no contact with the tooth, eliminating the vibrations that some patients find uncomfortable.
This provides several key benefits for patients, including:
- Less downtime
- Minimal bleeding
- Less pain and discomfort, reducing the need for anesthesia
- Immediate results
- Avoid the use of stitches
- Perform highly precise dental services
- Minimize the risks of infection
- Speed recovery time
The Waterlase dental laser can also stimulate healthy bone regrowth to remove tooth enamel decay. A precision instrument, the dental laser reduces the damage to adjacent tissue or healthy tooth structure that can occur when using drills and scalpels to remove diseased tissue or decay.
Perioscopy: Microscopic Video Technology
Traditionally, periodontal disease was treated with surgery. Now, there’s a new procedure called Perioscopy. Utilizing digital video technology, Dr. Dean can diagnose and treat areas below the gum line without the discomfort of surgery. This miniature dental endoscope magnifies tooth anatomy in great detail, revealing deposits hidden below the gum line.
How It Works
Perioscopy features advanced microscopic video technology with up to 48 times magnification. It also allows direct vision of the tooth root to enhance traditional cleaning, scaling, and root planing techniques.
With new technology come new benefits. Not only does it provide a comfortable, non-surgical periodontal treatment option, but it also pinpoints unseen deposits that cause bleeding and inflammation. It enables the detection of periodontal conditions and other dental problems in earlier stages.
Most importantly, it raises the standard of oral health care by using a new level of visualization to help fight periodontal disease and associated tooth loss.
Of course, sometimes surgical therapy is still needed, and Dr. Dean and the team at our Plano, TX office can also offer these types of therapies. If you are a patient in the Plano, TX, or Dallas, TX area searching for gum disease treatment, contact us to explore your options.
Perioscopy Benefits
Caring for your gums is just as important as caring for your teeth. When gum disease gets serious, dentists need special tools to clean deep below the gum line. One of the best tools they can use is a perioscope. Perioscopy is a modern dental treatment that allows dentists to see inside the gums and clean them better.
One major benefit of perioscopy is that it lets dentists clearly see the problem. A perioscope is a tiny camera, about the size of a pen tip, that goes under the gums. It shows a live video on a screen, so the dentist can spot plaque, tartar, and damaged areas that would be impossible to see with just a mirror or X-ray. This clear view helps them thoroughly clean the gums and treat gum disease at an earlier stage.
Another important benefit is that perioscopy is less invasive than traditional surgery. In the past, dentists had to cut the gums open to clean deep areas properly. With perioscopy, they can treat the infection without making big cuts. This means less pain, less swelling, and a faster recovery for the patient. Many people can go back to their normal activities shortly after the procedure.
Perioscopy also helps save natural teeth. Gum disease can cause the bone that holds teeth in place to break down. If left untreated, teeth can become loose and eventually fall out. By using a perioscope, dentists can clean deeper and more precisely, stopping the infection and giving the bone and gums a better chance to heal. Saving natural teeth is always better than removing them and needing replacements like dentures or implants.
Another great thing about perioscopy is that it makes follow-up care easier. Since the dentist can clearly see how the gums are healing over time, they can better track your progress. If any new problem areas show up, they can catch them early and treat them before they get worse. This means fewer serious treatments in the future.
Patients also appreciate that perioscopy often costs less than surgery. Because it is less invasive and doesn’t require stitches or a hospital stay, it can save money while still providing excellent results. The lower risk of complications means fewer extra visits to fix problems.
Non-Surgical Gum Treatment FAQs
Learn more about non-surgical gum treatment in our Plano, TX office:
How is non-surgical periodontal treatment done?
Deep cleaning with scaling and root planing is necessary for non-surgical periodontal therapy. Carefully cleaning the root surfaces removes plaque and tartar from deep periodontal pockets without surgery.
Does non-surgical gum treatment improve systemic health?
Some speculate that while periodontal therapy lowers inflammation in dental tissues, it may also positively impact systemic health by lowering inflammation throughout the entire body.
What is the key to the success of gum therapy?
The key to successful periodontal therapy is at-home care, frequent checkups, and ongoing therapy if needed. Patients must complete all of these to ensure the success of gum therapy.
What is a common example of non-surgical gum therapy?
According to recent controlled research, scaling and root planing alone and a few additional non-surgical therapy approaches produced comparable results to laser treatment. Periodontal disease therapy can also use lasers to treat periodontitis non-invasively.
What can I do to maintain the results from non-surgical gum treatment?
The best way to maintain results after any periodontal treatment is to practice a disciplined oral care routine. Brushing and flossing your teeth at least twice daily is crucial to oral health. We also recommend scheduling regular dental cleanings and examinations in our office so we can keep up with and maintain your progress.
What are the goals of nonsurgical periodontal therapy?
The basic objectives of non-surgical gum therapy are to eliminate and regulate risk factors, remove infection, and eliminate inflammation. Our goal is always to remove infection and reduce symptoms and risks associated with gum disease.
Schedule an Appointment
Revive your gum health in our Plano office. Call (972) 666-1594 or schedule your next visit online. Please let us know if you have any symptoms of gum disease. We aim to provide prompt, effective treatment.