You can actively prevent disease and decay through regular home care, regular dental exams and professional cleanings. This will maintain a healthy, beautiful smile. The word “periodontal” literally means “around the tooth.”  Periodontal (Gum) Disease is an ongoing infection in the pockets around the teeth. The deeper the pockets, the more infection you have in fact, this is the major cause of tooth loss.

The purpose of Periodontal (Gum) Treatment is to remove this infection and give these pockets a chance to heal.

Early detection is key, there are generally two treatments (non-surgical) to treat this condition depending on the severity of your infection:

Scaling and Root Planing

Scaling and root planing are non-surgical procedures preformed to remove periodontal infection from below the gum line. Scaling and planing effectively remove periodontal infections where the pockets around your gums are not too deep. The surfaces of the tooth root are cleaned and smoothed and this removes the bacteria under the gums and makes it more difficult for bacteria to grow under the gums in the future.

Scaling and root planing are done under local anesthesia and are quite different from the routine dental cleaning or "deep cleaning."

If the tissue around your teeth is unhealthy and cannot be repaired with non-surgical treatment a minor surgerical procedure must be performed to remove the infection.

If your gums are swollen and tender or bleed easily when you brush your teeth, you may have gum disease. Prevention begins with the control of plaque and calculus, the main cause for gum disease.