Gum Disease Affects Over 50 Percent of Americans
When you brush and floss your teeth, do you often see blood in the sink when you spit or have bleeding around your gums? Or do you find that no matter how frequently you clean your mouth, you still have bad breath? If either of these relates to you, then you might be affected by gum disease and did not even know! Gum disease is an incredibly common condition that affects over half of all Americans. For many, it goes undetected because the symptoms of gum disease, like the ones mentioned above, are painless and seemingly “normal.” If left untreated, gum disease can lead to destruction of your jawbone, infection of your gums, and tooth loss. Research has also linked gum disease to other dangerous systemic health conditions, like high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease!
However, if gum disease is caught early enough, our dentists can help save your smile and overall health. Drs. Dustin and Kenneth Rabine offer timely and effective gum disease care for all levels of the disease. We also are trained in modern laser dentistry that can eliminate bacteria and infection with gentle laser light—no scalpels, sutures or incisions needed! If you think you may be experiencing symptoms of gum disease, we encourage you to be checked right away to prevent the condition from worsening!
Common Signs of Gum Disease
- Bleeding gums when brushing and flossing
- Loose or shifting teeth
- Constant bad breath
- Difficulty chewing or biting
- Bad taste in your mouth
- Teeth appear longer
- Tooth sensitivity
The Stages of Gum Disease
- Dr. Dustin Rabine Talks About Our Process For A Healthy Smile
Gum disease has three progressive stages. The first stage, gingivitis, affects most patients and is characterized by bleeding gums, tooth sensitivity to hot or cold beverages and bad breath. When identified during this stage, we can cleanse your mouth of bacteria and get you back to a healthy oral state. If left untreated, gingivitis can progress to periodontitis, an advanced form of gum disease that can cause gum recession and jawbone deterioration along with the previous symptoms. And past this stage is advanced periodontitis which can lead to tooth loss and a spread of the infection to other parts of the body. Once you are affected by periodontitis or advanced periodontitis, gum disease can no longer be cured, just maintained with routine visits to our Shelton, CT office. But we will always be here to help you and your smile!
Gum Disease Treatments
Scaling and Root Planing
Scaling and root planing is a deep cleaning of the tooth roots and gums. This treatment goes below the gumline and targets bacteria that has gathered around the tooth roots. Our doctors will use ultra-small tools to gently access the area and remove bacteria, plaque and buildup, smoothing out your tooth roots to allow for proper reattachment of gum tissue.
Biolase® Waterlase iPlus™ Laser Gum Disease Therapy
Our dental laser can eradicate disease-causing bacteria and promote healthy tissue growth through gentle laser light! Most patients love our laser dentistry option because there are no scalpels or sutures involved and there is very minimal bleeding during or after treatment. You likely won’t need any sedation and Drs. Rabine can perform the treatment in just one visit. You’ll be able to get multiple areas of your mouth treated quicker than through traditional gum disease treatment methods!
Periodontal Maintenance
Once you have been treated for gum disease, you will need to visit our office every three months for routine periodontal maintenance visits. These visits including scaling and root planing, exams and general oral health hygiene care to ensure that gum disease does not return.
- Welcome to Rabine Family Dentistry
A Team Dedicated to You
At Rabine Family Dentistry, we truly care about each and every patient that comes into our office. We strive to offer the most cutting-edge and effective care in a manner that causes you the least amount of anxiety and discomfort. Our commitment to staying on top of modern technology has led us to adopt the Biolase dental laser so that we can treat gum disease in a gentle and minimally invasive manner for all patients. We have nearly 50 years of combined dental experience, able to handle even the most complex cases of gum disease and treat patients with extreme dental phobias.
