Non-Surgical Gum Treatments

San Antonio, Texas

According to the American Academy of Periodontology (APA), the foremost cause of gum disease is plaque, which continually forms on your teeth. This sticky, clear substance can be largely eliminated with regular, twice-a-day flossing and brushing. However, routine professional cleaning is also essential, because the chances are that we’ll miss some. When plaque is left on the teeth it gradually hardens into tartar (also called calculus), and then can only be removed by a professional hygienist. Dr. Brian Hale has been successfully helping residents of San Antonio, Texas to restore their tooth and gum health for many years now, and has an alumni of happy patients.

Many people – up to three-quarters nationwide, by some estimates – do not get their teeth professionally cleaned on a basis regular enough to prevent gingivitis (inflammation of the gums). When gingivitis is left untreated, it turns into periodontitis (advanced gum disease). If your dentist can catch the gum problems before they reach the stage of periodontitis, non-surgical gum treatments can save your teeth. Typical non-surgical gum treatments include root planing and scaling, and are usually advised by Dr. Hale if pockets exist between your gums and teeth that exceed a depth of three millimeters.

Root Planing
To plane the roots of affected teeth, a special instrument is used to remove hard deposits and to smooth the root surface. This allows the gums to reattach to the teeth as they heal, and reduces the pockets that lie between the gums and teeth. Those pockets are a popular place for bacteria to settle in, and as they multiply, they enlarge the pockets, creating more space to multiply, and so on. It’s a vicious cycle.

Scaling
Scaling, usually done in conjunction with root planing, removes plaque, calculus, and stains from the crown of the tooth to the root.

Root Planing & Scaling vs. Regular Professional Cleaning
Scaling and root planing together are considered “conventional periodontal therapy,” and differ from regular professional cleanings. How? They clean more deeply, working beneath the gum line where pockets have opened up. They are done to remove deposits which have been there for longer than the typical 6-month interval between professional cleaning.

Don’t Wait Any Longer
If you have neglected having your teeth regularly cleaned, there is a real possibility you may need periodontal therapy to get your teeth and gums back to a healthy state. Don’t wait until the condition advances to the more serious stage of periodontal disease, which will require more aggressive treatment, possibly including surgery.

Click here for frequently asked questions about Non-Surgical Gum Treatment.

Call or email Dr. Hale’s San Antonio, Texas office today and set up an appointment. He will examine your teeth and make his professional recommendation on whether scaling and root planing should be a treatment for you. When your dental health is optimized, you are in a good position to have such cosmetic procedures as porcelain veneers, tooth whitening and dental bonding. But first there must be good dental health.