There is a major epidemic going on in America right now. It affects about half the population. You may be at risk of this and not even know it. It’s gum disease, the silent disease that can lead to tooth loss and poor overall health. At our Edgewood dental office, we treat patients with all dental complications. One of the things our treats frequently is gum disease.

Unfortunately, a lot of patients are not aware of the widespread problems that gum disease poses to your health. For us dentists, gum disease is enemy number one. It can quickly take over your mouth, and it’s the leading cause of tooth loss. Our Edgewood Kentucky dental office puts a huge focus on treating gum disease because it’s an overall health problem.

Today I want to show you three ways we can treat your gum problems.

Are Your Gums Getting Smaller By the Day?
It’s possible for your gums to get smaller over time because of infection or because of heavy brushing. We call this gum recession. Gum recession is a problem because it looks unhealthy and IS unhealthy. Receding gums can expose the roots of the teeth, putting them at a higher risk of decay. If you have gum recessions, most dentists will tell you that gum grafting is your best option. Not here. We use a modern approach that requires no scalpels or stitches. The Chao Surgical Pinhole Technique can be completed in one visit and requires little to no recovery.

Instead of cutting soft tissue and stitching the gums, we use the pinhole technique to manipulate the gums into a better position. Once the gums are in place, we place collagen strips to keep the gums in place. Some patients experience slight pain, but nothing near to what they would have experienced from conventional gum grafting.

Our First Line of Defense Against Gum Disease
Gum disease is a tricky problem to plan against. It can pop up when the patient least expects it, and it’s signs are not always clear to the patient. That’s why you need a dental professional on your side. Our hygienists and dentists are trained to spot the first signs of gum disease and then provide comfortable intervention. One of the most common forms of gum disease treatment is scaling and root planing, also know as deep cleaning. When use local anesthesia and then remove any tartar buildup below the gums. We’ll even use antibiotics on the area to reduce the risk of bacteria multiplying in that area.

Remove the Infections in Your Gums Without Scalpels or Stitches
Advanced gum disease can be difficult for patients to get under control. You can do this with traditional gum surgery, but that process is extremely invasive and carries a long recovery. That’s why our office has implement laser dentistry to help those struggling with gum disease. The laser will evaporate the infection in the gums and then create an environment that is ideal for gums and teeth to naturally reattach. The use of the laser minimizes the bleeding and improves your recovery time. We also use the laser to reshape the gums.

Our office takes gum disease and gum issue seriously, which is why we have devoted so many of our services to treating gum problems. If you have a history of gum disease or are looking for a state-of-the-art office to oversee your oral health, call our office at 859-474-7830.