Lakewood Ranch Periodontal Services
We believe in hugging your dentist after you get your perfect smile.
Common Signs of Gum Disease
- Red, tender, and swollen gums that bleed during brushing or flossing
- Constant bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth
- The gum line is receding, or gums are pulling away from teeth and forming pockets
- Changes in your bite or teeth alignment, loose teeth
Common Signs of Periodontal Disease
- Chronic bad breath
- Swollen, bleeding, and painful gums
- Severe gum recession
- Loose or missing teeth
- Persistent pain when chewing
- Drainage or pus from the gums
Stages of Gum Disease
Gingivitis
Gingivitis is an early stage of periodontal disease. It can cause bleeding or swollen gums, bad breath, and bright red or purplish gums. If gingivitis goes untreated, symptoms can worsen and cause gum recession, tooth decay, tooth and bone loss, and other severe oral health issues.
Gingivitis can be treated with a deep cleaning to remove bacteria from gums and plaque and tartar from teeth. Your dentist may also recommend an antibacterial toothpaste or mouthwash. Flossing daily is also key to treating and preventing gingivitis.
Periodontitis
If gingivitis goes untreated and begins to worsen, it becomes periodontitis.
Periodontitis affects not just the gums but also can affect soft tissue that supports your teeth, exposes tooth roots, damages bone, and in severe cases, it can enter your bloodstream and harm major internal organs.
Periodontal disease can be treated with many treatment options such as scaling, root planing, bone and tissue grafting, and antibiotics.
Advanced Periodontitis
If periodontitis goes untreated, bone will begin to erode around tooth roots, gums severely recede, and there may be multiple missing or loose teeth. Complex cases of periodontitis typically require surgery such as pocket reduction surgery, soft tissue grafting, bone grafting, and guided tissue regeneration.
How Can I Prevent Gum Disease Before it Starts?
Simple, everyday steps can be taken to avoid gum disease growth, including:
- Brushing and flossing consistently at least twice a day
- Using an antimicrobial mouth rinse daily to help control plaque
- Eating a healthy, low-sugar diet
- Scheduling regular checkups
If you are experiencing the symptoms of gum disease, please contact Smiles at Lakewood Ranch at 941-216-3803 to schedule an appointment right away. We’ve helped many residents in the Lakewood Ranch area successfully treat their periodontal and gum disease and restore their brilliant, beautiful smile.
Learn more about Oral Health at Smiles at Lakewood Ranch
Bad Breath
If you suffer from chronic bad breath, your dentist can help identify the cause and, if it's due to an oral condition, he or she will develop a treatment plan to help eliminate it. Regular checkups will allow your dentist to detect any problems such as periodontal disease, a dry mouth or other disorders.
The mouth is often considered a window to the rest of the body because many other illnesses first present themselves as changes within the mouth. As a result, a comprehensive oral exam is recommended each time you visit a new practice to serve as a benchmark of your overall health.
Fluoride
Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in many foods and especially tap water. This mineral helps prevent tooth decay by making the tooth more resistant to acid attacks from plaque and sugars in the mouth. It attracts other minerals and strengthens tooth enamel.
Gentle Professional Cleanings
People over the age of four or five should visit their dentist for a professional teeth cleaning at least twice a year. To maintain oral health, it is very important that you stay current on the condition of your teeth so that if problems are detected, they can be treated early to avoid developing more serious issues.
At Smiles at Lakewood Ranch, we provide comfortable, gentle teeth cleanings, specifically to detect, deter and prevent gum disease. If we find a cause for concern, we may recommend a deep gum cleaning to remove tartar below the gum line, smooth out surfaces where plaque builds up and eliminate bacterial infection.
Mouth Guards
Custom-fit mouth guards are prescribed and created by a dental professional from thermoplastic material and are based on a detailed mold taken of your mouth and teeth. They can be made for either sports or for nighttime teeth grinding and are created differently depending on the intended use. They're highly personalized, as your dentist can adjust the thickness of the mouth guard, and they're designed to fit perfectly in your mouth with no adjustments needed.
Night Guards
If you’re experiencing chronic headaches and migraines because of involuntary night-time teeth clenching, let Smiles at Lakewood Ranch help you with a night guard. A night guard is a thin, transparent device that is worn over the biting surface of your teeth while you sleep to prevent contact between the upper and lower teeth. Night guards have also proven to be an effective remedy for patients who are suffering from the effects of grinding and clenching their teeth while sleeping.
Oral Cancer Screening
The dental community is the first line of defense in early detection of oral cancer. The goal of oral cancer screenings is to detect mouth cancer or precancerous lesions that may lead to mouth cancer at an early stage when cancer or lesions are easiest to remove and most likely to be cured. When found at the early stages of development, oral cancers have an 80-90% survival rate. Early detection is imperative!
Sealants
Dental sealants consist of a plastic material that is placed on the chewing surface of the permanent back teeth, molars, and premolars to help protect them from bacteria and acids that contribute to tooth decay. Because of the likelihood of developing decay in the depressions and grooves of the premolars and molars, children and teenagers are candidates for sealants. However, adults without decay or fillings in their molars can also benefit from sealants.
Tooth Sensitivity
If hot, cold, sweet or very acidic foods and drinks, or breathing in cold air, makes your teeth painful, then you may have tooth sensitivity. Tooth sensitivity can come and go over time. It occurs when the enamel that protects your teeth gets thinner, or when gum recession occurs, exposing the underlying surface, the dentin, and reducing the protection the enamel and gums provide to the tooth and root.
You deserve to smile big and laugh around friends and family.
A Beautiful Smile Restored!
In this Smiles at Lakewood Ranch case study, our patient Rosetta explains how she had an accident and broke her front tooth. Another dentist told her some bad news and, wow, is she glad she came to the experts at Smiles at Lakewood Ranch instead!
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Smiles at Lakewood Ranch
14606 E State Rd 70
Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202
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