Gum disease is an issue that nearly one out of every three adults deal with. The only problem is, many people don’t know they have it. They may experience the signs and symptoms, but they don’t do anything about it until it’s too late. Seeing your local dentist in Salem, OR on a regular basis can help ensure your oral health stays strong. Below are some ways a general dentist can take care of periodontal issues.
Crown Lengthening
Crown lengthening is a solution for periodontal problems restorative and aesthetic alike. Using this technique, dentists leave enough healthy tooth structure for proper retention and placement of future restoration margins. They will not perform this technique when it can lead to root fracture, unadjusted restoration, recurrent caries, gingivitis, or chronic periodontitis. Before you undergo this type of procedure, ask the dentist how the bone level must be lowered in order to restore the tooth, showing the procedure for crown lengthening in a fractured premolar. This will give you a better idea of how the process works.
Periodontal probing
Disorders such as gingivitis and periodontal disease can cause an inflammation of the gums that creates periodontal pockets between the gum and the tooth. This creates a microenvironment for bacteria, and facilitates periodontal bone destruction. This is something your dentist can test for. Measurement is performed using an instrument called a “periodontal probe”, which slowly moves along the gingival margin to assess the pockets that may have formed under the gum. Typically, the depth should be less than 3 mm. Anything larger than this is considered diseased tissue. Visit Idylwood Dental, LLC for more information.
Curettage
Subgingival plaque produces an inflammation of the gums, creating periodontal pockets. This generates periodontal disease that can cause a loss of bone support for the teeth. Curettage is the process by which deposits of subgingival plaque is removed. Such treatments are performed to clean periodontal pockets and improve the inflammatory damage caused to the gums.
The procedure is not painful, but is performed under anesthesia. The dentists in Salem, OR use instruments like a curette, which helps clean the roots and hinders the accumulation of plaque. If periodontal disease is well advanced, reinsertion of the tooth can be achieved with curettage if it is performed on time. Click here for more information.
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