We don’t just worry about the health of your teeth. We know that good gum health will ensure full smiles, which is why we always strive to help patients enjoy good gum health. In today’s blog, your Ankeny, IA, dentist talks about how to improve your periodontal health!
The Importance of Healthy Gums
Why do we need to keep our gums healthy and strong? These tissues secure our teeth in place and also frame our smiles, meaning they are essential for the health and stability of our smiles, and are crucial for maintaining an attractive smile too. We recommend homecare habits like brushing and flossing, and visits for checkups and cleanings every six months to help control your gum health and keep disease away. Otherwise, you could develop sore, red, and bleeding gums, or even recession that makes teeth appear long. As the disease reaches the advanced stage, this could lead to adult tooth loss! But we can help with a periodontal cleaning.
Periodontal Cleanings
If we find the presence of inflammation or disease in your gums, or if you begin to experience sore, red, and bleeding gums, then we can conduct a diagnosis to assess the cause and severity of the disease. Our team can understand what stage it is at, and then create a plan to manage it and safeguard your smile. For many, this will start with a periodontal cleaning, also known as a scaling and root planing. While this uses the same tools as a traditional cleaning, this takes more than one visit and is more involved. We want to remove buildup from not only the teeth, but the exposed roots and from beneath the gums too. For some, this could take one to four visits, and we will numb the smile to ensure your comfort.
With an ultrasonic scaling device and a manual tool, we will remove buildup from the teeth and then polish them to help control future buildup from occurring. We may recommend a traditional cleaning every three to four months to keep the issue in check.
Tooth Replacement
What if your periodontal disease has reached a stage that causes tooth loss? If you have gaps in your smile, we could manage periodontal disease so you don’t risk implant failure, and then replace your missing teeth with dental implants. We also have bridges, and could secure removable or implant-secured dentures. A full smile is possible, and we can make this and good gum health a reality for you!
If you have any questions about protecting your gum health, or if you want to schedule a visit and use your remaining dental benefits, then reach out to our team today.
Dental Impressions Talks About Healthy Gums
With general dentistry, our team can help you manage your gum health. To schedule an appointment for preventive dentistry, then call Dental Impressions in Ankeny, IA today at (515) 965-0230.
