Gum disease (periodontal disease) is, unfortunately, a very common health problem. Just like with diabetes, a person can have gum disease and not know it. Gum disease is usually fairly simple for a dentist to diagnose with x-rays and a clinical examination. Achieving good gum health is essential to keeping your natural teeth for a lifetime and protecting your dental and overall health. Untreated, chronic periodontal disease can lead to shifting teeth, a poor bite, bad breath, tooth and gum discomfort, bleeding gums, infections, and ultimately tooth loss. Chronic gum disease has also been strongly linked to other health problems, such as a higher risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and respiratory diseases–and for pregnant women, a greater risk of low birth weight, pre-term babies.
Should you be diagnosed with one of the earlier stages of gum disease (such as gingivitis, early periodontal disease, or even moderate periodontal disease), Dr. Emerson and his staff will develop a careful and fairly simple treatment plan to provide what is called “initial periodontal therapy”, a short series of appointments to thoroughly and comfortably clean your teeth and initiate the first steps in achieving improved periodontal health. The success of this treatment rests on a group effort involving our staff and you, the patient, working together to progress through necessary treatment and to develop and maintain adequate daily home care for the health of your mouth, as well as continuing to visit our office for simple periodic maintenance cleanings/therapy.
Not all gum disease and gum problems can be managed non-surgically. When appropriate, Dr. Emerson will refer patients to a periodontal specialist to be treated for specific problems or for advanced gum disease issues.
We have found that non-surgical periodontal therapy and good home care is usually highly successful for managing periodontal disease, and maintaining acceptable periodontal health into the future. If you have not had a periodontal exam recently or believe you may have periodontal disease developing, please call our office right away for a careful, but simple assessment of your gum health. If it is necessary, you may benefit greatly from non-surgical periodontal treatment.