Periodontal Therapy

Protect your mouth and body from gum disease.

What Is Periodontal Disease?

A smiling woman with healthy gums, thanks to periodontal therapy
Another word for gum disease, periodontal disease is an infection of your gums and is the top reason for adult tooth loss. It’s known as the “silent disease” because the symptoms are painless and hardly noticeable. Some of the symptoms include:
  • Gums bleed easily
  • Red, swollen, tender gums
  • Gums pulling away from the teeth
  • Persistent bad breath
  • Pus between your teeth and gums
  • Permanent teeth are loose or separating

You See the Signs of Gum Disease…

Now what?
Depending on the severity of your condition, there are multiple options you can pursue:
  • Scaling & Root Planing
    Scaling and root planing is the first line of defense against gum disease. It involves an ultrasonic cleaning device that is used to remove plaque and tartar from your teeth where regular cleaning devices can’t reach: under the gum line, on the tooth, and around the root. This provides a healthy, clean surface that makes it easier for the tissue to reattach to the tooth.

    To keep your teeth in good shape, it’s crucial to brush and floss daily, eat a healthy diet, avoid tobacco use, and have regular dental checkups. If you don’t take care of your teeth, you’ll most likely develop gum disease again.

  • Surgical Treatment Options
    Scaling & root planing cannot work if your gum disease becomes severe. If your periodontal disease is more severe, we may refer you to a periodontist who specializes in gum surgery. Some common types of periodontal surgery include:

     

    • Pocket Depth Reduction: During pocket reduction procedures (also known as “flap surgery”), we fold back the gum tissue and remove the bacteria hiding underneath, as well as the hardened plaque and tartar that have collected. We may also remove any tissue that is too damaged to survive. We then sew the healthy tissue back into place. Now that the tooth and root are free of bacteria, plaque, and tartar, and the pockets have been reduced, the gums can reattach to the teeth.
    • Soft-Tissue Graft: When your gums recede, a soft-tissue graft can help. During a soft-tissue graft, tissue from the top of your mouth or another source is sewed to the gum area, covering the roots and restoring the gum line to its original, healthy location. This procedure can also be performed for cosmetic reasons.
    • Regeneration: When the bone and tissue supporting the teeth have been lost due to severe gum disease, we can restore these areas with a regeneration procedure. During this process, we begin by folding back the gum tissue and removing the bacteria, plaque, and tartar. Depending on your situation, we may then perform a bone graft to stimulate new bone growth, or we may apply a special kind of protein that stimulates tissue growth to repair the areas that have been destroyed by the disease.

Very good experience. They use high tech equipment. Good with my kids. Always responsive to requests. Bruce is very knowledgeable and does great work.

Seth R., Actual Patient

Let’s Get Your Gums Healthy

Learn more about our dental office:
We’re happy to serve the state of Illinois:
  • Peoria, IL
  • Bartonville, IL
  • Chillicothe, IL
  • Dunlap, IL