Healthy gums greatly reduce your overall dental expenses.
Why is gum health important?
All dentists talk about gum health being so important, but few actually explain why.
Here’s the deal, simplified:
When left untreated, mild gingivitis can become periodontal disease – infection that spreads through and destroys your teeth and bone.
When this happens you are going to need deep cleanings at best, or very intense gum surgery at worst.
The kicker is that according to the CDC, 47.2% of adults aged 30 years and older have some form of periodontal disease.
Gum treatments helps prevent other diseases in your body.
Healthy gums look great, but more importantly – they help prevent other diseases from spreading throughout your body.
Early detection is key. If you experience red, swollen or bleeding gums, you should make an appointment immediately.
When you come in for your first appointment (and every cleaning appointment thereafter), we’ll check your gum health, and make sure to take care of small problems before they become bigger, costlier ones.
Gum specialist on staff!
Most dental offices do not have a periodontist (gum specialist) on staff, but we do. Dr. Sigafoos helps you with solutions for more advanced gum problems.
Gentle & thorough hygienists.
Regular cleanings with our hygiene staff will help you catch and correct these issues. 2-4 cleanings per year are a great idea.
Good Oral Hygiene At Home
Proper daily care of your teeth and gums goes a long way to reduce these problems. Drs. Dale Trudeau, Thomas Fitzpatrick, Nikko Johnson, and Erik Balinghasay of Del Mar Family Dentistry in Solana Beach, CA, educate patients on how to care for their teeth and gums between dental visits. Dental education can provide patients with the information they need to keep periodontal disease from developing.
If you want to prevent gingivitis and periodontitis, or if you notice changes in your smile, such as bleeding or swollen gums, our team can help. Call (858) 360-3102 to request an appointment at our facility, conveniently located at 625 Valley Avenue and serving patients in the communities of Fairbanks Ranch, Del Mar, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Rancho Santa Fe, Encinitas, and Carmel Valley, CA.
Dr. Nikko Johnson Discusses Periodontal Disease Treatment
Hi, I’m Doctor Johnson. I treat the perio side of the office. Today, I’d like to discuss with you treatment for periodontal disease.
Specifically, the PerioLase Lanap laser allows us to treat full-mouth periodontal care in one visit. It treats multiple levels, from the most basic periodontal disease to the most advanced and most hopeless cases of advanced periodontal disease.
We have multiple patients that visit our office and come in saying they’ve been told they need multiple extractions or even full mouth dental extractions, and people just aren’t ready for that most of the time. So, it allows us to treat very advanced cases in a very non-invasive and and fairly non-scary and intense way.
We would love to review things more with you and encourage you to watch the simple video of Lanap Care. But basically, the laser itself is used. We see you first for an exam, evaluate your treatment, review things with you, educate you on where the periodontal disease status is, and how we can treat things, and how you can manage things at home with home care, hygiene instructions, and, whatever we can do for post-treatment options. If there’s any teeth that, you know, we want to discuss prognosis on it or anything further.
Once you’re numb, the laser itself is used for the treatment of periodontal disease, removing bacteria. All of this without any incisions being made. There’s local anesthetic delivered, but there’s no actual cutting itself.
So, the traditional form of osteosurgery, we do not need to approach. We can just use the laser with making a micro-incision in the gum tissue and then doing the regular cleaning.
And then doing a second pass through with the laser that gives the blood clot. So there’s no incisions, no sutures made. So again, fairly non-invasive approach to treating periodontal disease. We would love to go over things further with you and do an exam and really just get you on the same page and give you an understanding and knowledge of treating your home care, treating your periodontal disease, and give you back control of just your dental care and really make you feel secure about things and really make you feel confident about your smile and just get to know you further and become one of our family and friends.
We look forward to meeting you very soon and educating you further. Thank you.
FAQs
How does periodontal disease present/progress?
Periodontitis begins as gingivitis, a treatable and reversible condition typically resulting from poor oral hygiene habits. In time, plaque that is left on teeth/gums turns into tartar (calculus), which spreads below the gum line, where it is much more difficult to reach with your regular home care routine. Your body’s natural immune response to infection is to fight the infection with immune system cells, but in doing so, your body also attacks its own tissues and bones that support the teeth. Gums may recede, and the bone underneath may diminish, causing pockets to develop (deep probing depths). The infection in the pockets can spread throughout the body and lead to other health consequences as well.
What are the most common risk factors of periodontal disease?
Smoking/nicotine/tobacco use, genetics, stress, medications, poor occlusion/dental alignment, systemic diseases, poor nutrition/obesity, autoimmune issues, and dry mouth are all risk factors for periodontal disease.
Tobacco is the most significant risk factor for the development and progression of periodontal disease. Tobacco weakens your body’s immune system, affects the vasculature (decreasing the blood flow) around the gums, and makes it more difficult for your gums to heal.
Some people are more susceptible to gum disease due to genetics. Up to 30% of humans have some sort of genetic factor that leads to problems in the cellular response.
Some medications can cause dry mouth, making it more difficult for saliva to clean gums and teeth, leading to increased plaque build-up.
Teeth alignment, occlusion, and crowded dentition can also make hygiene care difficult and lead to the progression of periodontal disease.
What causes periodontal disease?
Plaque (bacteria) is the primary cause of periodontal disease. Proper brushing and flossing are the best approaches to fighting periodontal disease. Keeping plaque reduced is a constant battle, and neglecting oral hygiene can have serious long-term health consequences.
Regular dental cleanings will help prevent gum disease. Regular home care, including brushing well twice a day, detailed flossing daily, and overall health maintenance, will keep the periodontal tissues healthy.
More severe gum disease may require deep cleanings below the gumline to clean the tooth root surface. Sometimes, prescription mouth rinses may be used. Surgery may be indicated to repair/treat more severe periodontal disease. Sometimes, surgery will involve opening the tissues and adding bone grafts to repair defects or other times. A laser will be used sometimes to repair periodontal disease and help the bone and gums heal.
How is periodontal disease assessed/diagnosed and treated?
Either the dentist or specialist (periodontist) will perform a comprehensive exam and collect data about your gums and teeth. Probing depths will be measured, which helps the doctor gauge the extent of any gum tissue breakdown. The goal of any periodontal treatment is to thoroughly clean the pockets around teeth and prevent future damage to surrounding gum tissue and bone. You have the best chance for successful treatment when you also have a daily routine of good oral care.
Nonsurgical treatments:
If periodontitis isn’t advanced, treatment may involve less invasive procedures, including:
• Scaling. Scaling removes tartar and bacteria from your tooth surfaces and below your gumline. It may be done using instruments, a laser, or an ultrasonic device.
• Root planing. Root planing smooths the root surfaces of tartar. This helps your gums reattach to your teeth again.
• Antibiotics. Topical or oral antibiotics can help control bacterial infections. Topical antibiotics can include antibiotic mouth rinses or applying an antibiotic gel into gum pockets. Sometimes, oral antibiotics are needed as well.
Surgical treatments:
If you have more advanced periodontitis, you may need dental surgery.
• Flap surgery, also called pocket reduction surgery. Your periodontist makes an incision around your teeth and carefully folds back the tissue to expose the root surface for more effective Scaling and root planing. Because periodontitis often causes bone loss, the underlying bone may be reshaped before the gum tissue is stitched back into place, and bone grafting particles with collagen membrane are placed, overlaying any bony defects to help assist the body in healing. After you heal, cleaning the areas around your teeth and maintaining healthy gum tissue is easier.
• Soft tissue grafts. When you lose gum support and expose the tooth root surface, you may need to have some of the damaged tissue reinforced/replaced. This is usually done by removing a small amount of tissue from the roof of your mouth or using tissue from another donor source and attaching it to the affected site. This can help reduce further gum loss, cover exposed roots, and give your teeth a better appearance.
• Bone grafting. This procedure is performed when periodontitis destroys the bone around your tooth root. The graft may be made from small bits of your own bone (autogenous), or the bone may be made of donor bone (allograft). Bone grafting helps prevent tooth loss by holding your tooth in place. It also serves as a scaffold for the regrowth of your own natural bone. New bone will be formed around the tooth within six months to a year.
• Tissue-stimulating proteins. Another approach involves applying a special gel to a diseased tooth root. This gel contains the same proteins found in developing tooth enamel and stimulates the growth of healthy bone and tissue. This is used in conjunction with any of the above surgery techniques.
• Laser-Assisted New Attachment Procedure (LANAP). LANAP is a method of laser treatment for periodontal disease (periodontitis and gingivitis) and does not involve any tissue flap elevation from the bone. The laser offers a bladeless alternative to traditional surgery and is minimally invasive.
How common is periodontal disease in the US?
Over 70% of Americans 65 and older and 42% of adults over 30 have some form of gum disease. The prevalence of periodontal disease continues to be an important public health problem, as two in five people are affected by some form of disease.
What is Laser-Assisted New Attachment Procedure (LANAP®) Gum Surgery?
The PerioLase MVP-7 has the first and only scientifically proven FDA clearance for True Bone Regeneration with the LANAP Protocol, which reverses moderate and severe periodontitis.
LANAP can be a good option to treat periodontal disease if you have other health conditions. Research shows connections between gum disease and heart disease, diabetes, and more.
LANAP vs. Traditional Gum Surgery
Ordinary gum surgery involves using a blade to reflect tissues and clean the root surfaces by removing diseased or infected gum tissues, followed by sutures to close the tissue back together.
The laser offers a bladeless alternative to traditional surgery. It is minimally invasive and provides the best possible condition to speed up the healing process. Dental lasers are successful in targeting the source of the gum’s infection and selectively remove the bacteria without harming or removing healthy soft tissue.
Dr. Dale Trudeau
Dr. Thomas Fitzpatrick
Dr. Nikko Johnson
Dr. Erik Balinghasay
Del Mar Family Dentistry is served by four experienced and talented physicians: Drs. Dale Trudeau, Thomas Fitzpatrick, Nikko Johnson, and Erik Balinghasay.
Dr. Dale Trudeau has served the community of Del Mar and Solana Beach since 1984. He is a graduate and former instructor at USC School of Dentistry and has completed many hours of advanced training in restorative, cosmetic, implant dentistry, and Invisalign. He is a member of the American Dental Association (ADA), California Dental Association (CDA), San Diego County Dental Society (SDCDS), and American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Dr. Trudeau is active in the community and volunteers at many local charities and youth organizations.
Dr. Thomas Fitzpatrick is a graduate of Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) in San Diego and Loma Linda University, School of Dentistry. He is a Research Associate at PLNU, YMCA, and Foundation for Worldwide Health, along with being a member of the ADA, CDA, Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), and SDCDS. Dr. Fitzpatrick has a passion to provide sustainable dental services to underserved communities both locally and globally. In 2013 he founded Cura Coffee Company to help fund the non-profit work of Cura Smiles. This non-profit has been able to build a dental clinic in the diverse community of City Heights, San Diego to help serve the underserved in their dental needs.
Connect with Dr. Thomas Fitzpatrick on Linkedin
Dr. Nikko Johnson is a graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma and Oklahoma University College of Dentistry. After completing her dental residency, she practiced as a general dentist in Oklahoma and North Carolina before obtaining her Master of Science in Periodontology from the University Of Detroit Mercy School Of Dentistry. Among her competencies are prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of periodontal diseases and treatment modalities with advanced oral plastic surgeries. She has had the honor of providing dental care to veterans for many years.
Dr. Erik Balinghasay is a graduate of the University of California San Diego(UCSD) and University of California Los Angeles(UCLA), School of Dentistry. Upon graduating from UCLA, he pursued advanced speciality training in Endodontics, the dental specialty related to root canals, at the University of Washington in Seattle. He is a Board-Certified Endodontist and a Diplomate of the American Board of Endodontics.
