
Did you know that gum disease, the most common dental problem in the entire world, is also considered to be a risk factor for several non-dental related illnesses such as diabetes, stroke, and dementia? It’s true! Research has revealed what dentists have known for years, in that the health of the gums directly affects the health of the entire body. At TrueCare Dentistry, this connection is always on our mind, which is why we keep a close eye on our patient’s gums and are ready to provide treatment at the first signs of infection.
If we’re able to catch gum disease early, scaling and root planing are usually all that is needed to get the infection under control. Think of them as a dental cleaning that is specifically focused on your gum line. First, an ultrasonic cleaner is used to remove any plaque and bacteria that have built up along the gum line (the primary cause of gum disease), and then the roots of the teeth are gently smoothed out. This makes plaque much less likely to gather on them, lowering a person’s risk of reinfection in the future.
For more advanced cases of gum disease, Dr. Rana may choose to treat a patient using our soft tissue laser. This instrument generates an extremely concentrated beam of light, and with it, Dr. Rana can instantly eliminate bacteria hidden beneath the gum line, remove infected tissue, and drastically reduce post-treatment bleeding, swelling, and soreness. The laser itself is so precise and gentle that most patients don’t even need local anesthesia.