Without proper oral hygiene, the risk is that your teeth can develop cavities, but there is another potential problem that isn’t talked about as often: gum disease. This common infection is actually the most prominent dental problem in the world, and while early symptoms are minor, left untreated, it can turn into the leading cause of adult tooth loss! Thankfully, if you have red, swollen, or bleeding gums, it isn’t too late, and our team can take care of you well before any lasting damage occurs. Give us a call today so we can safeguard your smile’s foundation with periodontal therapy in Jacksonville, FL.
With our Waterlase laser, we’re able to quickly and precisely remove harmful bacteria from deep below the gum line without having to perform a minor surgery like in the past. The laser is so accurate that it leaves any healthy tissue completely untouched, and the procedure itself is so gentle that most patients don’t even need local anesthetic to remain comfortable.
Scaling and root planing are best thought of as a type of dental cleaning that primarily focuses on the roots of your teeth, where the plaque and tartar that cause gum disease tend to accumulate. These two procedures are performed in tandem to remove the source of infection and then prevent it from coming back by smoothing out the rough surfaces of the roots. This helps the gums heal quickly and stops bacteria and food particles from building up in the future.
As gum disease progresses, it can cause small pockets of bacteria to develop along the gum line, and these are extremely difficult to clean with scaling and root planing alone. Fortunately, we can apply a topical antibiotic to the gums that quickly dries and then slowly dissolves over the course of a week. This allows the powerful medicine to reach the bottom of even the smallest pocket to kill any remaining bacteria. Plus, this treatment can also reduce the size of these pockets to protect a patient’s ongoing oral health.
For advanced cases of gum disease, the only solution used to involve a minor surgery, but now we can take a much less invasive approach thanks to our Waterlase laser. This instrument combines a steady stream of water and a highly-concentrated beam of light to quickly remove diseased tissue and buildup from below the gum line. Because the procedure doesn’t require any incisions or sutures, it is very comfortable, and it also takes much less time and requires practically no recovery.