Gum disease is a quickly progressive condition. When you have it, undergoing professional treatment is essential. Untreated gum disease usually leads to tooth loss, which presents a whole new set of problems.

Fortunately, it is treatable by your dentist, and lasers have become the latest in effective options.

How Does Gum Disease Progress?

Gum disease starts out almost silently. You may not even notice the symptoms - red, swollen gums that bleed when you brush or floss. It can continue to go unnoticed for a long period of time, and the whole time the disease is progressing. Your gums pull away from your teeth, opening up a space for bacteria to fall into.

Once inside the pockets, the bacteria start to attack your teeth and your jawbone. You may begin to notice that your gums have receded or that your teeth are loose. If it continues to progress, the bacteria continue to destroy your jawbone, which can alter its shape and even cause your teeth to fall out.

Treating gum disease in the early stages is preferable. Gingivitis can be solved simply by having your teeth cleaned and following up with a regular oral hygiene routine of brushing and flossing. However, advanced stages require professional intervention.

Gum Disease Treatment

Traditional treatment for more severe cases of gum disease involved scaling and root planing. During these procedures, a metal tool is used to manually scrape plaque, tartar (hardened plaque) and bacteria from the surfaces of your teeth both above and below the gum line. It also smooths the surfaces of the roots of your teeth, making it difficult for bacteria to adhere and allowing your gums to heal.

In some instances, your dentist may have had to do gum flap surgery, which is an invasive procedure in which your gums are cut so your teeth could be more easily accessed. The gums where then sutured back together.

Lasers give all of the benefits of these procedures without all of the drawbacks. Lasers can remove inflamed gum tissue as well as remove the harmful bacteria that are plaguing your mouth. Pain and discomfort are minimized. Lasers cauterize the wounds immediately, which means no bleeding. And lasers allow for more accurate and complete removal of bacteria.

The use of lasers is a proven effective method of getting rid of harmful oral bacteria. If you are suffering from gum disease, contact our office for more information and learn how a laser can make your gum disease treatment better.