Conquering Gum Disease - Shoreline Periodontics and dental implants

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Dr. Urbanski Explains Gum Disease

Gum disease is a multi-variable disease with many contributing factors. It affects over half of American citizens and is the number 1 cause of bone loss. The problem with periodontal disease is that it can keep coming back over and over again if certain critical factors are not taken into consideration for treatment. We can help you eliminate periodontal disease and keep it away for good by aggressively treating the main contributing factors. The majority of clinicians will only take one of the following factors into consideration with a periodontal treatment plan. That is why many patients are stuck with deep pockets forever despite regular cleanings and perio visits! For predictable results we must treat ALL of the critical factors.

3 Critical Factors of Eliminating Gum Disease and Keeping Your Natural Teeth

Bacteria & Inflammation

There are over 1000 different types of bacteria living in the human mouth. Some are good and some we would rather live without. The bacteria that live underneath the gums and on the root surface of the teeth cause inflammation and a loss of attachment or “pockets” between your teeth. With people over the age of 55, the main health issue that they struggle with is Chronic Inflammatory diseases. Needless to say reducing the bacterial count rate and eliminating any inflammation is critical for a successful gum disease treatment.

Occlussion and Mobility

If you have pocket depths deeper than 3mm you will no longer be able to effectively clean the bottom of the pocket with regular brushing or flossing. When you go to the dentist they have special instruments to reach into the pocket and clean the site. The problem is no matter how clean the pockets are after your appointment, if the pocket depths do not REDUCE you can’t maintain healthy gums and the bacteria and inflammation come right back. One of the biggest contributing factors that is often overlooked is adjusting your occlusion and stabilizing your teeth. If your occlusion or “Bite” is not adjusted correctly you may have certain teeth that will touch before other teeth. This causes them to constantly compress or move laterally. If the tooth is constantly in motion the tissue never has time to reattach to the root surface and reduce your pocket depths. It's no different than having a broken arm and never putting a cast on it. If you never stabilized the arm, the bone would not heal. The same principle holds true with your teeth and the bone/tissue that supports them.

Post Treatment Care

In order to set a clear expectation and maintain predictable results it is critical that a post treatment plan be set in motion from the beginning. Gum disease is not something that is fixed in one visit with Dr. Toback. It’s something that is carefully and aggressively managed over a period of time with an expected outcome. Typically patients with moderate to severe gum disease will be required to come back 3-4 times throughout the first year after initial treatment. The reason is to maintain the gains that we experience after the initial surgery or therapy, and also to make sure that your occlusion is adjusted properly and your teeth have not moved. The first 12 months are the most critical. If everything goes well in the first 12 months, everything after that will be a breeze.

Your Ace In The Hole

One cannot underestimate the advantage that you have in visiting an expert/specialist in the field of periodontal surgery when it comes to gum disease. This is what we do all day every day. We have specialized training, technology, and experience in predictably eliminating periodontal disease and saving patient’s natural teeth. There are many clinicians that claim to treat periodontal disease but many use the same techniques that were used 20 years ago never evolving or adapting to new and advanced technology or procedures. Our first priority is your health and saving your teeth and the proof is in our results.