Houston Dentist Serving Children & Adults in Channelview, Baytown, Pasadena and Nearby Areas of Texas
Gum disease impacts an estimated 40% of adults who are over the age of 30. In its beginning stages, gum disease often responds very well to increased attention at home such as brushing with more frequency, flossing both morning and night, and adding an antibacterial mouthwash to your daily oral hygiene routine. However, when this proves inadequate at reducing inflammation or stopping the progression of gum disease, more advanced treatment options become essential.
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of gum disease in Houston, please contact Love Brushing Dentistry online or by calling 713-490-2088 to schedule a treatment consultation right away. Our periodontist serves Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, The Woodlands, and all surrounding Texas communities.
Basic Cleaning
When caught in its earliest stages, our Houston dentist may recommend prophy, an effective dental treatment designed to pause the progression of periodontal disease and gingivitis. With this basic cleaning, Dr. Khavari will use advanced polishing instruments to remove stains and plaque that have failed to respond to at-home care. Performed at regular intervals, this type of basic dental cleaning can both stop the progression and prevent a reoccurrence of gum disease. We recommend you visit our Houston family dentist every six months to ensure optimal oral health.
Scaling and Root Planing
Deep cleaning is typically designed to treat tooth and/or gum destruction. Perhaps your teeth are becoming more and more brittle, and you want to prevent tooth loss. Perhaps you want to get rid of bacteria that are causing your jawbone to weaken. Or perhaps you have developed periodontal disease and are afraid that if you do not intervene in any way, your gums will rot.
The possible reasons for deep cleaning are:
- Bleeding gums while flossing
- Swollen or red gums
- Gums recession
- Foul breath that persists even after brushing
- Pus between the teeth and gums
- Bone resorption and eventually tooth loss
If you are experiencing any of these issues, please call our Houston dentist at 713-490-2088 to learn how we can help.
Deep Cleaning
Prior to deciding whether scaling and root planing is needed, Dr. Khavari will gauge the degree of damage using a diagnostic tool called the periodontal probe. Its purpose is to measure any bleeding, inflammation of the gums and pocket depths around your teeth.
If bleeding or deep pockets are present, Dr. Khavari may recommend a deep cleaning and antimicrobial rinse to improve the situation. If bleeding is not present but there still exists deep pockets around your teeth, deep cleaning will again be the best option for you.
The team at Love Brushing Dentistry has developed a logically consistent, empirically verifiable methodology for determining the degree to which a patient needs deep cleaning. Not all situations are exactly the same, and while some cleaning needs to be more intense, others can do just fine with basic cleaning. This is something best determined during your gum disease treatment consultation at our welcoming Houston dental office.
Deep cleaning involves the removal of calculus and tartar from below the gum line. This helps reduce inflammation and eliminate bacterial infection. When not performed, serious oral health issues including tooth loss may be inevitable. So too may risks for more worrisome systemic health issues such as bone necrosis, heart attack, kidney and liver failure, and dementia. Prompt treatment of gum disease, either through basic or advanced cleaning, remains the best way to prevent these issues once periodontal infection has occurred.
To learn how we can help protect your smile and treat your gum disease, please call our experienced Houston periodontist at 713-490-2088. Dr. Khavari and the amazing team at Love Brushing Dentistry serve patients throughout the Houston area, including those living in Pasadena, Baytown and Channelview.