Gum Disease
Periodontal disease is an inflammation of the soft and hard tissues which surround your teeth and support them. Also called "gum disease," it is caused by a bacterial infection in the mouth.
Gum disease starts with gingivitis, simple inflammation of the gums. First indications may be bleeding gums when brushing or flossing, and halitosis – bad breath and an unpleasant taste in the mouth.
But gum disease can have very serious ramifications.
If left untreated, gingivitis progresses from the soft tissues to the bone. As bone dissolves from the infection, the periodontal disease causes deep pockets around the roots of the teeth trapping more bacteria. Eventually you lose anchorage, the bone that supports the teeth. The teeth become loose and fall out or must be extracted. Bone loss also complicates restorative procedures such as implants, crowns, and bridges.
Health complications of gum disease can extend beyond the mouth. The American Heart Association links certain strains of bacteria that reside around the teeth and in the crevices of the gums to serious heart problems. When these bacteria invade the mouth, they can travel through the blood stream and damage the heart valve.
Treating gum disease is very important and we take it seriously – not only on the tooth loss level; also on a systemic level. Nobody wants bacteria in his or her blood.
We begin with a non-surgical, baseline procedure called scaling and root planing. This involves thoroughly cleaning the root surfaces in those deep pockets. We remove plaque and bacterial toxins. Then we re-evaluate the condition within three months, for pocket reduction improvement.
For severe cases, we can combine the scaling and root planing with a surgical option, and a chemical or antibiotic treatment.
Each situation is assessed individually or optimal success.
Brentwood Family Dental develops a personalized treatment plan based on the type of periodontal disease you have, whether initial, moderate, or advanced.
Dr. Jamil Alkhoury
Dr Jamil Alkhoury believes dentists to be artists. Taking care of another person’s teeth is definitely an art in which Dr Jamil Alkhoury is an expert. Having graduated from University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) with a degree in Advanced Education in General Dentistry, he has always focused on the well-being of his patients. Brentwood family dental headed by Dr Jamil Alkhoury offers a wide range of services. He always keeps in touch with the developments in the field, to serve his purpose to the best of his abilities.