Gum disease affects tissues that support your teeth. At least 75 percent of Americans have it. This condition affects your breath, appearance, oral health, and overall wellness.

Gum disease begins as gingivitis. When the sticky layer of plaque is not scrubbed away from teeth, gums become inflamed. The biofilm hardens into tartar and irritates the seal of gum tissue to teeth. As soft tissue loosens, pockets form around tooth roots, allowing bacteria to penetrate more deeply. The disease advances to periodontitis, involving ligaments and other connective tissues and deteriorating bone. Teeth loosen and eventually fall out. Meanwhile, bacteria infiltrate the body, impacting cardiovascular and many other aspects of whole body health. Dr. Brianne Luu and her staff at Gentle Care Dentistry believe in a comprehensive approach to gum disease. It involves three crucial steps:

Prevention
Gum disease is not truly curable, since the mouth is natural habitat for bacteria, so prevention is critical. That requires regular professional examinations and thorough cleaning. In between visits, you must brush with proper technique after eating, and floss before bedtime. It is also important to eat nutritious, low sugar foods and minimize consumption of alcohol and soft drinks.

Treatment
If Dr. Luu finds signs of gingivitis or periodontitis in your mouth, the hygiene team will begin with a deep cleaning. A procedure called scaling and root planing sanitizes pockets and removes tartar from root surfaces to allow the seal to restore itself. If necessary, diseased gum tissue is removed.

When teeth are severely compromised by gum disease, tooth extractions may be appropriate. Dr. Luu handles most herself, and works with trusted associates for very complex extractions.

Dental implants are a wonderful solution to restore function and appearance from missing teeth. She arranges for a surgical associate to graft bone if necessary (to support the prostheses) and place implants into the jawbone. Dr. Luu finishes the transformation with lovely porcelain crowns.

In cases where a patient does not want or is not a good candidate for dental implants, Dr. Luu offers removable partials and full dentures.

Management
Once your gum disease is under control, Dr. Luu will customize a management plan to keep your mouth healthy. This may involve more frequent checkups and cleanings, and nutritional counseling. If you smoke or use smokeless tobacco, Dr. Luu will talk to you about quitting. Together, you will also discuss how situations like diabetes, pregnancy, and cancer treatment that impact gum health may be managed over the course of your lifetime.

Dr. Luu believes that the mouth is the gateway to wellness. She wants to help you keep your body in balance with prevention and management of gum disease, and treatment solutions that work with your lifestyle. Schedule an appointment today.

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