Lakewood Dental Trails

A Great Dentist

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(254) 206-3200

General and Aesthetic Dentistry

10252 W. Adams Ave #101, Temple, TX

Lakewood Dental Trails > Services > Gum Disease Treatment

Don't let gum disease in Temple TX compromise your smile and your oral health. We have the solution you need!

Gum Disease Treatment in Temple, TX

A family that is protected from gum disease in Temple, TX Do your gums look red and puffy? Do they bleed when you brush and floss? Both are symptoms of gum (periodontal) disease, which needs to be treated to protect your overall oral health.

At Lakewood Dental Trails, we provide skilled gum disease treatment to our Temple, TX dental patients. We'll work with you to resolve the problem and restore your gum health.

How Gum Disease Affects Your Oral Health

Gum disease, or periodontal disease, affects as many as one-half of all American adults. Gingivitis and periodontitis are the two main types of gum disease. Gingivitis is the early stage of gum disease, which can lead to periodontitis in its advanced stages. In the early stages, gum disease isn't always accompanied by pain or swelling, which makes it difficult to detect without a comprehensive dental exam at Lakewood Dental Trails.

When detected early with general dentistry, gingivitis is treatable and the effects can be reversed. Treatment options include a professional dental cleaning and treatment regimen by your dental team, in combination with your own routine home oral care.

Much of the impact of gum disease occurs below the gum line, so the effects may occur before you can identify the onset of gingivitis. Patients are often not aware of the presence of gum disease until physical symptoms become pronounced.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between a regular cleaning and a periodontal appointment?

Regular teeth cleaning appointments—recommended every six months—are preventive because the purpose isn’t to treat gum disease but rather to keep it from developing.

Periodontal maintenance appointments are recommended when our hygienist needs to target existing gum disease to prevent it from advancing.

Preventive Teeth Cleanings

During your regular or prophy cleaning appointment, your hygienist removes stains, plaque, and tartar deposits on the tooth’s crown. They also measure the depth of periodontal pockets, which is the amount of space between your teeth and gums.

Periodontal Maintenace Cleanings

Pockets over 4mm in depth indicate the presence of gum disease. In this case, our hygienist would recommend an appointment for a specialized deep cleaning called scaling and root planing. Your hygienist performs this procedure over two appointments, and it involves removing (scaling) plaque and tartar from your teeth and planing or smoothing the tooth’s roots.

Periodontal maintenance appointments occur after the deep cleaning procedure. Your hygienist develops a personalized treatment plan with cleanings scheduled at a frequency that’s right for you.

Most patients require periodontal maintenance appointments 3-4 times a year, including scaling below the gumline to control the progression of gum disease.

Schedule Your Next Dental Cleaning with Us

Healthy smiles rely on healthy gums, and we can help you achieve both. Please call our Lakewood, TX dental office to schedule your next teeth cleaning appointment.

Symptoms and Causes of Gum Disease

A diagram showing gum disease Common symptoms of gingivitis include redness, inflammation, and bleeding of the gums from normal brushing or flossing, or under light pressure. Bad breath and sensitivity to hot or cold are also common symptoms of gum disease. As the disease progresses, the gums begin to recede from the teeth, creating pockets where bacteria can form. Pockets in the gums begin to form where food particles can lodge, increasing the risk of infection.

Left untreated, gingivitis can lead to periodontitis, the advanced stage of gum disease. Tooth loss may occur as teeth become loose due to reduced support from the surrounding gums and the effects of decay on the bone tissue. Abscesses result where pus forms, causing pain and increased swelling.

We Can Help You Avoid Gum Disease

Avoiding gum disease is not that difficult, but you have to be committed to a healthy smile. Brush at least twice a day and floss once. If your oral hygiene skills leave something to be desired, your hygienist will be happy to review proper techniques with you. Dental exams and teeth cleanings at our Temple, TX dental office support your at-home oral hygiene habits to help us stay a step ahead of problems like gum disease and cavities. Lakewood Dental Trails today to schedule a teeth cleaning and an exam with us to prevent gum disease before it can begin.

If you're noticing signs of gum disease or it's time for your routine dental exam and cleaning, please call us to schedule an appointment.

Testimonial

Friendly Staff and Gentle Care

I had to go for a tooth extraction, which is never a fun or good day. The staff was so friendly and understanding. They made me feel comfortable the whole time. The dentist was super sweet and gentle. She was very detailed in explaining everything to me. I will definitely be going back for routine dental care.

- Julie C.

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Our Team

Meet More of our Staff

Dr. Erin Kern

Dr. Kern is a native of Holland, Texas, and is excited to provide exceptional dental care to the Central Texas community where she was born and raised. She graduated from ...

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Dr. David Vu

Dr. David Vu is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, and the scope of services he provides ranges from simple tooth extractions to complete facial reconstruction. He is also trained in ...

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Dr. Rich Leung

Dr. Rich is a native of California, and it has always been his desire to provide quality dental care in a comfortable and relaxing environment. He graduated from the University ...

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Dr. Amanda Craig

Dr. Amanda Craig holds a Doctorate of Dental Surgery from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Dentistry, where she also completed an advanced education ...

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Blogs

A dentist treating a kid with periodontal disease in Temple, TX

July 12, 2017

Types Of Periodontal Disease

At Lakewood Dental Trails, we treat periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is another name for gum disease. People of any age can be affected by periodontal disease. During your dental checkup and cleaning, Dr. Leung will examine your gums and teeth to determine if you have or are close to getting periodontal disease.

Dr. Leung will use a probe to gently measure the depth of the pockets surrounding each of your teeth. This is called periodontal charting. It is the portion of your appointment when you hear the dentist call numbers to ...

Preventing Periodontal Disease

Periodontal Disease is also known as gum disease. It is a gum and bone infection. If it is not treated, it can become severe and may eventually lead to tooth loss. It can often be treated in its early stages with a treatment to clean your teeth called scaling and root planing. This is the first step in preventing or even combating periodontal disease.

Scaling and planing involves a deep dental cleaning. Depending on the extent of periodontal disease that you have, your dentist may recommend that one or more sections ...