Gum Therapy in West Lethbridge

Importance of Gum Therapy

Gum treatment, also referred to as periodontics, is an important part of your overall dental health.

The gums provide the structure for the teeth, and any damage to the gums can put your smile at risk for excess tooth decay, loose teeth, and even complete tooth loss.

Fortunately, gum disease is both preventable and curable, with proper dental care.

With every dental examination, we will inspect your gums for early signs of gum disease.

If we do find damage to the gums, there are options available that can stop and even reverse the damage that’s already been done.

Depending on the type and extent of damage, we may recommend one or more of the following options to treat gum disease:

• Scale and root plane
• Gum surgery
• Bone grafts

Scale and Root Plane

A scale and root plane procedure is a relatively simple cleaning procedure that is effective in treating most early stage gum disease.

The scale and root plane consists of gently cleaning underneath the gums, removing the harmful bacteria that damages the gums and causes them to recede. We will also gently abrade the tooth root just beneath the gum line to prevent excess bacteria from accumulating again.

Gum Surgery

Similar to the scale and root plane procedure, gum surgery is designed to thoroughly clean beneath the gum line, preventing future gum disease.

Gum surgery differs from the scale and root plane procedure in that a greater area of the tooth root must be cleaned and surfaced, which must be accessed surgically.

Bone Grafts

In some severe cases of untreated gum disease, you may experience loss of bone material in the jaw. This can lead to a variety of problems, including tooth loss, injury to the jaw, and changes to your facial appearance.

In cases such as this, we may be able to perform a bone graft procedure to rebuild the jawbone. For more information on bone grafts, visit our Oral Surgery page.