Dr. Anthony Marchionno, your periodontist in Greensburg, PA, helps patients fight periodontal disease. Periodontal disease, or gum disease, can cause tooth loss if left untreated. If you are concerned about gum disease, visit us for treatment.
Gum disease in Greensburg, PA
If plaque is not removed from the teeth by regular brushing, it builds up on the surfaces of the teeth. It hardens and forms into tartar, which cannot be brushed away and needs to be removed by a dental professional. This is why regular dental visits are so important to prevent gum disease. The bacteria in plaque irritate the gums and can cause them to pull away from the teeth. Left untreated, gum disease can lead to the loss of the soft tissues that hold your teeth in place.
Scaling and root planing
The goal of regular dental visits is to prevent gum disease, but there are some treatment options available if you do have gum disease. In the beginning stages, gum disease can be helped by scaling and root planing procedures. Scaling and root planing is a non-surgical, deep cleaning procedure for the surfaces of the teeth at the gum line. Scaling is the targeted removal of any plaque and tartar, and root planing involves shaping and sculpting the surface of the tooth near the gum so that the gums grow back healthy around the teeth.
Other treatments
Laser therapy performed by a periodontist targets the infected gum tissue without damaging more soft tissues in the mouth. In more progressed cases of gum disease, gum surgery may be recommended. This is a more aggressive approach to removing the infected pockets of tissue and could be accompanied by gum grafting to replace infected tissue.
Regular teeth cleaning appointments and brushing and flossing at home to remove plaque help prevent gum disease. If you have gum disease, Dr. Marchionno can help and your gums will have a chance to grow back healthy! Contact us in Greensburg, PA, at (724) 836-2911 or our Johnstown, PA office at (814) 262-7000.