Skip to main content

Treatment for Gum Disease in Frisco


When you notice your gums are bright pink or red, swollen and bleeding, you need to make a dental appointment right away. Early treatment of gum disease is the best way to prevent your teeth and jawbones from being damaged. Ignoring the signs of gum disease can lead to unnecessary tooth loss.

At the onset of gum disease, or gingivitis as it is called in the earliest stages, treatment is usually simple and straightforward. Your teeth will be thoroughly cleaned, and all plaque and tartar buildup will be removed. You may be given a special mouthwash and/or toothpaste to help the healing process. Subsequent visits to monitor the disease may be necessary, but usually gingivitis clears up in a short amount of time.

More advanced gum disease, or periodontitis, will require more extensive treatment. Frisco dentist Dr. Vashisht and the hygienist will make recommendations on the best plan for treating your gum disease. The severity of the infection often dictates how the disease will be cured. If the infection is not severe, you may only need to have your teeth and gums thoroughly cleaned and the roots of your teeth planed or smoothed. This provides a slick surface for the gums to reattach to the teeth.

More severe cases of periodontitis may require some surgery to remove damaged gum tissue. Dr. Vashisht may also prescribe antibiotics to be taken orally, or you may have antibiotics placed in the gums to stop the infection. You will need to make return visits to the office for follow-up treatments as the gums heal.

Symptoms and Causes of Periodontal Disease

Signs of periodontal disease are red, puffy gums that bleed when you brush or floss and sometimes when eating. You will also see a buildup of a hard, yellow or brown substance on your teeth. This is tartar, also known as calculus.

When tartar builds up, it pushes the gums away from the teeth. This causes pockets to form between the teeth and gums. These pockets become filled with food particles and bad bacteria. The byproducts from the interaction of the debris and bacteria cause infection. If left untreated, the infection in the gums can cause the bone to begin to dissolve. This is what causes people to lose their teeth when they have severe periodontitis.

There are many causes of gum disease. Poor oral hygiene is one of the most common sources. However, there are a variety of medicines that can contribute to it as well. Hormonal changes in women and girls make them more vulnerable to it at certain times. Even genetics can be a factor, causing some people to be more disposed to acquiring the disease than others.

If you have the symptoms of gum disease, do not neglect seeing a dentist right away. Contact Parklane Family Dentistry, and make an appointment with us. We will examine your teeth and gums and provide the necessary dental care to get you back on the road to oral health. Do not compromise your teeth with unchecked gum disease.

What Is Gum Disease?

Gum disease, also called “periodontal disease” is a chronic infection of your gums. It’s primarily caused by improper oral hygiene, but other factors like uncontrolled diabetes, smoking, and dry mouth can also contribute to the formation of gum disease.

When you do not care for your teeth properly, bacteria-filled plaque builds on your teeth. Eventually, this hardens into tartar, also called “calculus.” As tartar builds up between your gums and your teeth, the bacteria inside the tartar begin to attack your gum and infect them.

This causes your gums to become inflamed, as your immune system attempts to fight back against the infection and eliminate the bacteria that are infecting your gums.

At first, gum disease does not cause any permanent damage to your teeth and gums. You may notice symptoms like bleeding when brushing, bad breath (halitosis), swollen and tender gums, and purple or reddish gums.

But eventually, as the infection worsens, the gums and underlying support structures of your teeth will become infected and damaged. This can lead to a wide variety of other symptoms, including gum recession, which makes your teeth look longer, sensitivity when biting and chewing, loosening teeth, pus forming between the gums and teeth, and even total tooth loss.

Because of this, it’s very important to get help from a dentist to treat gum disease as soon as you notice its symptoms. If you believe you have gum disease, contact Parklane Family Dentistry for a consultation with Dr. Parul Vashisht and get help right away.

Gingivitis Vs. Periodontal Disease

If you’ve heard the term “gingivitis,” you may be wondering if this is the same thing as gum disease or periodontal disease. The answer is “yes.” Technically speaking, gingivitis is the same thing as gum disease.

However, the term “gingivitis” is only used by dentists to refer to the first stage of gum disease. This is the stage in which your gums are inflamed and infected, but the infection is minor and has not yet caused any permanent damage to your teeth and gums.

The primary difference between gingivitis and the later stages of gum disease is that gingivitis is reversible. If you take proper care of your mouth, take steps to adjust your lifestyle, and see a dentist like Dr. Parul Vashisht for expert periodontal care like deep cleanings for gum disease, you can completely eliminate gingivitis.

This is not the case with more advanced cases of gum disease. You can control the infection and prevent your gum disease from getting worse, but it will not be possible to completely eliminate the infection.

Preventing Gum Disease

The best way to prevent gum disease is to brush twice a day for two minutes, and floss your teeth once per day. You may also want to use antibacterial mouthwash to keep oral bacteria under control.

In addition to this, you should eat a healthy diet and minimize your consumption of sugary beverages and alcohol. This can help reduce the risk of gum disease and tooth decay (cavities).

There are also some other lifestyle adjustments you can make to further reduce your risk of gum disease. For example, drinking more water will help keep you hydrated and reduce dry mouth, which contributes to gum disease. Quitting smoking and tobacco use will also lower your risk of gum disease dramatically.

Contact

1606 FM 423, Suite 200

Frisco, TX 75033

Tel:

Practice Hours:

Mon: 9AM - 5PM

Tue: Closed

Wed: 9AM - 5PM

Thu: 9AM - 2PM

Fri: 8:30AM - 4PM

Sat: By Appointment Only

Book an Appointment