We see a lot of patients in our Charlotte NC dental office who complain about gum issues, and they’re shocked to learn that they have a serious problem known as gum disease. We dentists talk a great deal about keeping your teeth cavity-free, but gum health is just as important — if not more so. We’ll explain.
At McNulty and Dancausse General Dentistry, we take gum issues extremely serious. It’s a problem that starts small but can quickly balloon into a larger issue. Gum disease is invasive and a little tricky. It generally starts with bleeding or swollen gums, but it’s possible to have gum disease and have no common symptoms. Today we want to show you a little more about the dangers of gum disease and the revolutionary ways in which we are treating this problem.
The Problem With Gum Disease
Gum disease is a serious problem that honestly keeps us dentists up at night. It’s become an epidemic in this country. Some studies suggest that about 50 percent of all American adults will struggle with gum disease. And that number goes up to 70 percent for seniors.
Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. As we mentioned before, it starts with bleeding or swollen gums, but if left untreated, it can quickly take over the mouth. A serious gum infection can cause the teeth and the gums to pull away from one other, and then the disease can go on to cause the bone to erode. The problem with gum disease doesn’t end there. Gum disease has been linked to serious problems like diabetes and heart disease. We know that people with gum disease face a higher risk of these problems, but there is no proven cause-and-effect relationship. One theory is that the bacteria that infects the gums can travel through the blood vessels and cause blood clots.
Treating Gum Disease
There are two ways to treat an infection: remove it or use antibiotics. We can do both. But instead of traditional gum surgery (using a scalpel and stitches) we’re using revolutionary laser technology to restore your gums. The laser dentistry is extremely easy to use and by far much more convenient and comfortable than traditional gum surgery. Compared with traditional surgery, we’ve found that laser dentistry is superior for many reasons, including:
- Less invasive — The laser evaporates the gum infection instead of us cutting it out. That means we can preserve more of the healthy gum tissue.
- Less recovery — The laser allows the teeth and gums to naturally reattach, so we don’t need to use stitches. it’s more comfortable and allows the teeth and gums to heal faster.
- Fewer dental visits — Laser gum surgery is generally completed in one to two visits, depending on how serious the infection is and how much it’s spread in the mouth. Traditional gum surgery requires several visits to complete gum infection control of the entire mouth.
In addition to treating gum infections, we can also use the laser therapy to reshape the gums. It’s important to your smile that your gums are uniform and healthy-looking. We can handle both of these problems with our convenient laser dentistry.
So, if you’re struggling with gum pain or tooth pain, don’t wait around to fix the issue. Call us today at 704-766-8662 or fill out our simple online form. We can resolve your issue with our comfortable, state-of-the-art care. We can’t wait to meet you.