Periodontal Disease Treatment – Newbury Park, CA

Relief for Bleeding, Swollen Gums

Did you know that roughly half of adults in the U.S. have some form of gum disease? Here at Paraiso Family Dental and Orthodontics, one of our goals is to help reverse that troubling trend. By educating our patients on how to take good care of the gums, and by providing high-quality periodontal disease treatment in Newbury Park, CA to fight gum disease, we hope to help everyone who comes into our dental office achieve improved oral health.

Patient receiving periodontal disease treatment

Why Choose Paraiso Family Dental & Orthodontics for
Periodontal Disease Treatment?

  • Dentist with Decades
    of Experience
  • True Community
    Dental office
  • Thorough, Gentle Scaling
    and Root Planing

Scaling & Root Planing

Patient receiving scaling and root planing treatment

After your gums and jawbone have been affected by gum disease, we need to remove the plaque and tartar above and below the gumline in order to give the mouth a chance to heal. Scaling is the actual removal process. Root planing is what comes afterwards – namely, we smooth the roots of the teeth to create a surface that’s less susceptible to the accumulation of bacteria, encouraging the reattachment of the teeth to the gums.

The Importance of Gum Health

Closeup of smile with healthy gums

Sadly, many people underestimate the importance of gum health — but the state of this precious pink tissue can have a huge impact on your smile’s wellbeing and your overall health. In its earliest stage, periodontal disease can lead to bleeding, swollen gums and bad breath. As it advances, it may cause gum recession, extreme tooth sensitivity, and even tooth loss.

The bacteria that cause gum disease can also affect what goes in throughout the rest of your body. It can sneak into the bloodstream and lead to an increased risk of serious medical conditions, including cardiovascular illness, dementia, preterm birth, and more. Gum disease has also been linked to diabetic complications.

Fighting Gum Disease

Patient with inflamed soft tissue indicative of gum disease

Inadequate oral hygiene is the leading cause of gum disease, which is why it is so important that everyone attends regular checkups with their dentist in Newbury Park. We routinely do a periodontal evaluation to check for any signs of gum problems, and we provide coaching on how you can have the most effective at-home tooth care routine possible. Hopefully, we can stop gum disease before it starts.

If you do develop gum disease, it might be possible to correct the problem by making a few changes to your oral hygiene routine. However, periodontal therapy may also be necessary.

Periodontal Therapy

Patient receiving examination after periodontal therapy

One common type of periodontal therapy is called scaling and root planing, which essentially equates to a deep cleaning of the mouth. It is usually called for when gum disease has progressed to the point where the gums have pulled away from the teeth so far that there are pockets of bacteria that need to be cleaned out. During the procedure, we thoroughly remove plaque and tartar from the teeth, both above and below the gum line, and we smooth out the roots of the teeth, so it is more difficult for bacteria to cling to them.

After a scaling and root planing treatment, your teeth and gums may be extra sensitive, but you should recover fairly quickly. We’ll also recommend that you attend follow-up appointments so we can check how well your mouth is recovering from the periodontal disease.

In cases of advanced gum disease, surgery may be necessary to fight the bacteria and allow the gums a chance to heal.