Gum & Bone Therapy
People throughout the Indianapolis area rely on Keystone Dentistry — and our highly trained gum therapists — to deliver top periodontal care. Periodontal diseases are serious bacterial infections that destroy the attachment fibers and supporting bone that hold your teeth in your mouth. Left untreated, these diseases can lead to tooth loss or other medical conditions like cardiovascular problems and complications for diabetics and pregnant women. Periodontal disease is sometimes hard to recognize because there is often no pain, and there may not be any bleeding, redness, or swelling.
Root scaling and planning, also called a deep cleaning, are non-surgical procedures in which the gum therapists remove the plaque and tartar from below your gum line. The tooth root surfaces are cleaned and smoothed with specially designed instruments. For some mouths however, this is not enough. Surgery might be necessary if inflammation and deep pockets remain following treatment with deep cleaning and medications.
In the not too distant past, we or a periodontist would have to perform a more invasive surgery where we cut and lift the gums away from the teeth and surround bone in order to remove the tartar and get rid of the rough spots on the tooth root where the germs gather. The gums would need to be sutured back together around each tooth. While this surgery was great for it’s time, Keystone Dentistry is always trying to find faster and better ways to do our procedures. We have found that with the advent of dental lasers, this type of surgery is too extreme.
With two different types of special dental lasers that work on both hard tissue (bone) and soft (gums), we are able to not only remove and kill the bacteria living in the pockets, but in some cases we can regrow lost bone. The best part about it is the laser light is able to penetrate all round your tooth without having to cut or lift your gums!
Both type of laser have special thin attachments that slide easily between your gums and tooth. We use these attachments at various intensities in a strictly defined order to accomplish our task. At the end of this relatively mild procedure, you are given a post-operative kit including a mouth rinse and written instructions; you can even go about your normal daily activities. We will closely monitor your progress and adapt a new cleaning schedule to fit your individual needs.
Whether your gum disease is stopped, slowed, or gets worse depends a great deal on how well you care for your teeth and gums every day, from this point forward. If you’re experiencing bleeding, redness, or swelling in your gums, don’t wait until your periodontal disease becomes worse. The knowledgeable Keystone Dentistry team can diagnose and propose a successful periodontic treatment plan. Contact us today to find out more.