Gum Disease Therapy

Austin’s Progressive Periodontal Treatments

At 12 Oaks Dental, we know that the services we provide for our Austin, TX, patients not only benefit their oral health – they benefit their overall health as well. Your mouth is the window to the condition of your entire body – when something goes wrong in your mouth, it can affect your health and well-being. In fact, some of the most serious health issues today are affected, and sometimes caused, by gum disease. For this reason, we are pleased to offer gum disease therapy as one of the many services we provide to our patient family from throughout the Austin area.

Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, is an infection of the tissues that support your teeth and is caused by bacterial biofilms (plaque) that accumulate under the gums. Because periodontal disease is usually painless, most people don’t even realize they have it. Every individual is different and each immune system reacts differently to the presence of these bacteria. Genetics, family history, hormonal changes, certain medications, smoking, obesity and systemic and immune system disorders are among the many factors that can increase anyone’s health risk.

How Periodontal Disease Can Affect Your Body

The first thing people usually consider when they think about gum disease is how it will affect their teeth – and gum disease can destroy the bone around the teeth and lead to tooth loss. Although tooth loss is serious without a doubt, periodontal disease can also adversely impact other areas of your body. Because gum disease causes a systemic infection, it increases anyone’s risk for an astonishing list of other problems, such as:

• Heart disease
• Strokes
• Diabetes
• Respiratory conditions
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Complications during pregnancy
• Certain types of cancers
• Joint replacement complications

Because you may never experience any obvious or painful symptoms of gum disease, and since the American Dental Association estimates that 8 out of 10 adults will have some form of gum disease sometime in their lifetime, we strongly encourage our patients to keep up with regular hygiene visits and screenings.

Warning Signs of Gum Disease

Although there may be no noticeable signs of gum disease, if you have any of the following symptoms, please call us right away:

• Gums that bleed
• Red, swollen or tender gums
• Gums that have pulled away from your teeth
• Persistent bad breath
• Loose or separating teeth
• Bite changes or discomfort when you chew or bite down

Advanced Periodontal Therapy Keeps Austin Healthy!

At 12 Oaks Dental, we customize all of the services we provide, and that includes gum disease therapy. If you are diagnosed with gum disease, depending on how far the condition has progressed, we will most likely use a combination of therapies including ultrasonic scaling to comfortably and effectively remove buildup below the gum line. In some cases, a local or oral antibiotic may be necessary to kill bacteria and help to heal gum tissue.

To establish your risk and develop a comparison baseline, we may recommend bacterial or genetic testing. These saliva tests help us to determine which varieties of gum disease-causing bacteria are present in your mouth and evaluate your genetics in order to determine the most effective form of treatment in healing your gums.