What is Periodontal Disease?
Periodontal disease starts with gingivitis, which is a disease where gums are swollen and bleed easily. If caught early, gingivitis can be easily treated with good oral hygiene habits and dental cleanings. But if left to progress, gingivitis will develop into periodontal disease. Your gums will begin to pull back from the teeth and form pockets, which will be infected and cause bone loss.
We treat periodontal disease with a deep cleaning to scrub plaque and tartar off your teeth, known as scaling and root planing. If that fails, we’ll have to conduct flap surgery, a procedure that involves cutting into your gums to remove the bacteria. If that occurs, you may need gum or bone grafts to recover from periodontal disease.