Treating Gum Disease
Periodontal disease, or gum disease, affects millions of Americans. It is a painless infection of the tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth and is the largest cause of tooth loss. Often, patients do not even know they have periodontal disease. Since it can lead to serious complications like tooth loss it is important that it is diagnosed and treated. Recent studies also suggest possible relationships between periodontal infection and heart disease, diabetes and increased incidence of pre-term, low-birth weight babies. Recent studies have even indicated a relationship between periodontal disease and pancreatic and oral cancers.
Signs and symptoms of periodontal disease include bleeding, swollen or tender gums, bad breath that doesn’t go away, loose teeth, pus between your teeth and gums, or a change in the way your teeth fit together.
The good news is that detection of periodontal disease is relatively simple, utilizing diagnostic procedures which we will perform.
We have found the most effective treatment for slight to moderate cases of periodontal disease is to perform scaling and root planning (deep cleaning above and below the gum line) in conjunction with a locally administered antibiotic treatment. Our office utilizes a new antibiotic therapy called Arestin that has been approved by the FDA. The Arestin therapy is fast, easy and comfortable. Once Arestin is applied, it releases the antibiotic gradually for up to 21 days.
To find out more about the correlation between periodontal disease and overall health, visit these websites:
www.perio.org
www.americanheart.org
www.adha.org
www.time.com
www.orapharma.com
www.healthywomen.org