Gum Disease Treatment - Rapid City, SD
Restoring Healthy Gums for a Healthy You
Gum Tissue Treatment with a Soft Touch
Healthy gums are a protective barrier that prevent infection from negatively impacting your oral health, teeth and even your overall health. As many as 75% of Americans have some form of periodontal (gum) disease. Gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease is caused by plaque and bacterial buildup around your gumline. If left untreated, this can lead to periodontitis, a more advanced gum infection that impacts bone and fibers that support your teeth. At this point, spaces between your teeth and gums form periodontal pockets that are highly vulnerable to plaque, bacteria and tartar build-up. Damage to supporting structures can cause your gums to recede and/or gaps to form between your teeth. Periodontal treatment in Rapid City, SD focuses on correcting functional and aesthetic problems that can limit eating, jeopardize your dental health and make you feel self-conscious. Our skilled dentist Dr. Carpenter offers customized soft tissue periodontal treatments, starting with scaling and root planning. Treating gum disease in its early stages helps prevents negative repercussions to your oral and general health, including tooth loss. Our goal is to gently rebalance and restore your gums so you can live a functional and healthy life!
Signs of Gum Disease
- Red, swollen or tender gums
- Receding gums
- Loose or shifting teeth
- Chronic bad breath (halitosis)
- A change in tooth alignment
- A change in the fit of partial dentures
Targeted Treatment for Gum Disease
Our dentist Dr. Carpenter has training in treating every stage of periodontal disease in Rapid City, SD, from gingivitis treatment to targeted procedures to eliminate periodontal pockets. We never want worrying about the cost of gum disease treatment to be an obstacle to restoring your oral health. At Carpenter Dental, we partner with multiple insurance companies and offer third-party financing to help make getting this vital treatment more affordable. Once our dentist resolves your gum disease, the best way to prevent a recurrence is to brush and floss your teeth every day and get routine dental checkups and professional cleanings twice a year. It’s possible to keep your natural teeth forever and live a more comfortable and healthier life with regular preventive dental care and good oral health habits!
Restorative Gum Disease Treatments
Scaling and Root Planing
This nonsurgical, two-part deep cleaning is more intensive than a standard professional cleaning and is often the first line treatment for gingivitis. During the first step, our dentist carefully cleans root surfaces under the gumline to remove plaque and tartar. Then root planing is done to smooth rough spots on your tooth roots and remove bacterial toxins.
Periodontal Maintenance
A few months after a professional cleaning, bacterial plaque can cause gum disease to recur. At Carpenter Dental, we recommend periodontal maintenance with deeper cleanings about every three to four months to help keep your gums and teeth healthy. Gum disease severity, response to other procedures, plaque growth rate and how well you take care of your gums and teeth at home determines how often you’ll need this done.
Osseous Surgery
Eliminating or reducing pockets caused by gum disease is the primary goal of osseous surgery. During the procedure, Dr. Carpenter numbs the area with a local anesthetic and administers sedation if needed. A small incision is made in your gumline and the gums are folded back to access and remove bacteria. Once the bacteria is removed, the areas where bone damage has occurred are smoothed. If you incurred severe bone damage, we offer techniques including bone grafts and guided tissue regeneration to restore bone health. It may take a few days to recover from osseous surgery and we’ll provide postsurgical tips including dietary changes and pain-relieving medications to ensure you recover quickly.
Gingivectomy
Soft tissue damaged by gum disease can pull away from your teeth, leaving deep pockets that trap plaque and bacteria. During this in-office procedure at Carpenter Dental, excessive, overgrown or diseased gum tissue is removed using a surgical scalpel or laser. When excision is complete, your gums are gently reshaped and reattached for a snug fit along your tooth line.