While early gum disease can often be treated with simple changes to your home health care habits and a good professional cleaning, one of the challenges posed by gum disease is that once it progresses past mild gingivitis, the damage it does is irreversible. The goal then becomes stopping further progression.
Treatments for Gum Disease in Wausau, WI
- Improving oral hygiene habits – We will review your home care routine and make sure that you are using proper techniques to get the most out of this important habit.
- Stopping smoking – Smoking contributes directly to periodontitis (advanced gum disease). Plus, it makes it harder to heal from the infection and treatments.
- Oral and local antibiotics – Gum disease is a chronic infection caused by bacteria in the periodontal pockets (the spaces between your teeth and your gums). Destroying these bacteria will help stop the damage they cause.
- Deep cleaning methods – Your hygienist removes plaque, tartar, and bacteria from beneath the gumline, smoothing out the surface so the pockets can tighten around the teeth and bacteria are less likely to reinfect.
If you have experienced severe gum recession, surgery is also an option to repair your gum tissue and cover your exposed roots.
Contact Us
Wausau dentist Dr. James Kim is skilled in treating advanced gum disease and performing gingival grafts. Call today for an examination and consultation.