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Periodontics & Gum Therapy
At St. Laurent Dental Centre, our dentists provide periodontal care including the non-surgical treatment of gum disease.
What is Gum Disease?
Gum (periodontal) disease is an oral infection that develops gradually with little to no symptoms. Nonetheless, the condition becomes more severe, gum disease can have serious consequences.
The first stage of gum disease is gingivitis which causes your gums to become sore and bleed while flossing. As it progresses, gingivitis turns into periodontal disease, which causes your gums to recede, pockets to form, and teeth to loosen.
Gum Disease Therapy
At St. Laurent Dental Centre our dentists recommend non-surgical gum therapy to treat moderate cases of gum disease. This therapy involves using a number of techniques such as local medication, curettage, and root planing to help restore good health to your gums.
To maximize your treatment success, we recommend a long-term approach for your therapy sessions. This allows us to access your ongoing oral health before deciding the next course of action.
Treatment Options
- Preventive Gum Therapy
If the disease is caught in the early stages, preventive therapy will be recommended.
Regular hygiene cleanings and exams are important for maintaining the health of your gums.
By practicing good oral hygiene at home and eating a balanced diet, you can also significantly reduce your chances of ever getting gum disease.
- Non-Surgical Gum Therapy
Non-surgical gum therapy involves using a number of techniques including local medication, curettage, and root planning to bring your gums back to good health.
Curettage removes the irritated and infected tissues around the tooth below the gumline, allowing them time to heal.
Root planning eliminates and smoothes tiny amounts of the root surface so that the surface is clean.
Local medication may also be given to prevent the spread of the infection.
These procedures are often done together and performed by one of our skilled hygienists at St. Laurent Dental Centre.