Many of us had the importance of brushing ingrained in us at a young age. Brushing twice and flossing once a day keeps teeth bright and shining. However, many of us didn’t consider the importance of gum health until noticing the negative effects.
The gums are a vital part of maintaining a healthy smile, and when gum disease takes hold, it creates a variety of painful side effects. However, with the right dental care plan, you can treat your gum disease and smile more comfortably.
To get started, meet with Dr. McGowen at Evolve Dentistry & Aesthetics and discuss your options for periodontal care in Craven County.
Table of Contents
Skip ahead to the information you need about our periodontal care options.
The Symptoms and Causes of Gum Disease
Mild Treatment: Teeth Cleaning
Severe Treatment: Root Scaling and Planing
Maintaining Gum Health After Treatment
The Symptoms of Gum Disease
Gum disease is a common affliction, affecting nearly half of adults in the United States.
Some telltale warning signs of gum disease include:
- Red gums
- Swollen gums
- Bleeding (especially while brushing)
- Pain while chewing
- Tooth sensitivity to extreme temperatures
If you have any of the above symptoms, you may have gum disease or gingivitis. However, these concerns may also stem from other dental conditions.
For a formal diagnosis, come to our clinic for an in-person evaluation. Dr. McGowen can examine your teeth and gums to determine the cause of your concerns.
The Causes of Gum Disease
Many habits and behaviors can lead to the development of gum disease. Let’s take a look at a few of the most common contributors.
Infrequent Cleaning Habits
Most of us know how often we should brush and floss our teeth, but life gets in the way. Everyone has skipped a brushing (or a few). Maybe you worked late and couldn’t even be bothered to change before falling into bed. Or maybe you slept through your alarm, and you had to rush through the door without so much as a cursory look in the mirror.
These things happen occasionally, but if you make a habit out of forgetting to brush and floss, it can lead to more serious conditions down the road.
Tobacco Use
Many people also develop gum disease as a result of tobacco use.
Cigarettes and chewing tobacco come with the risk of many health conditions, like cancer and cardiovascular disease, but they also stain the teeth and break down the gums. For the healthiest smile, cut out tobacco products.
Genetics
Gum disease does have genetic factors, so if you suspect you may have this condition, talk to your family. If other relatives also struggle with gum disease, you have a higher risk of developing it, too.
Hormones
Changes to hormones also influence oral health. If you’re going through a stage in your life with significant hormone fluctuations, like pregnancy or menopause, you may develop gum disease as a side effect of that process.
Regardless of the cause of your gum disease, Dr. McGowen can develop a custom plan to manage it. If you have periodontal concerns, the next step is to meet with our team members for an in-person evaluation.
Start by Identifying Your Concerns
Before we begin the process for periodontal care in Craven County, we first identify your condition and its severity. We can perform this process during an in-person consultation or over the course of a standard teeth cleaning appointment.
Dr. McGowen has years of training and experience in identifying and evaluating gum disease. She can examine your teeth and gums, determine whether you have diseased gums or gingivitis, and develop your treatment plan.
Periodontal Care Options
At Evolve Dentistry & Aesthetics, we build custom care plans from the ground up, so you can be sure you’re getting a treatment catered to you.
We have multiple options for gum disease treatment at our clinic. During your cleaning or consultation, we recommend the ideal choice for your oral health.
Teeth Cleaning
One method of periodontal care in Craven County is a professional cleaning. Many people have gum disease because they don’t brush thoroughly enough, often enough, or both. This leaves bacteria and debris on the teeth and at the gumline.
Using our advanced dental cleaning tools, we can clear away any plaque or tartar causing gum inflammation. Once your teeth are clean, Dr. McGowen examines them and determines whether there’s any underlying damage.
If so, we can develop a plan to address that damage. If not, we’ll see you every 6 months for a routine cleaning and exam.
But before you go, we provide clear instructions on best flossing and brushing habits, since consistent at-home care is the best way to prevent gum disease. Routine dental cleanings and examinations also help catch issues early and support long-term oral health.
Root Scaling and Planing
A standard cleaning treats minor-to-moderate gum disease. However, more advanced cases of gum disease may require a different method of periodontal care.
In Craven County, our experienced hygienists can perform root scaling and planing to address deep-seated debris lying beneath the surface of the gums.
Root scaling involves using a small metal hook to scrape the base and root of the tooth. This allows us to remove debris we cannot extract through brushing, flossing, and other standard cleaning methods.
After we scrape out the debris surrounding the base and root of the tooth, you can experience a prominent reduction in gum disease symptoms. You may notice less sensitivity and better breath after this advanced method for periodontal care in Craven County.
Managing Comfort During Root Scaling and Planing
Before we perform root scaling and planing, we apply a numbing agent to the gums, so you can get thorough gum disease treatment without serious discomfort.
Recovering After Root Scaling and Planing
Following root scaling and planing, you shouldn’t need to take any dedicated downtime. However, because of the deep nature of the gum cleaning process, you may experience some tenderness.
Any sensitivity or pain you experience following this method of periodontal care in Craven County should go away after about a day.
However, if you would like to reduce any irritation during that window, we recommend taking an over-the-counter pain reliever, like Tylenol. You can also relieve discomfort by swishing a mouthful of warm water and salt. Dr. McGowen will give you recommendations on the best recovery methods following your treatment.
Maintaining Your Gum Health After Treatment
After we perform periodontal care in Craven County, you’ll want to keep your gums clean and healthy to prevent the condition from returning.
If you’ve had trouble maintaining your dental health in the past, then you might benefit from some personalized assistance. Before you head home after your appointment, Dr. McGowen and our hygienists can instruct you on how to best floss and brush your teeth in order to prevent gum disease.
At Evolve Dentistry & Aesthetics, we believe providing dental treatment itself is only part of our responsibilities. We also want to leave patients with a greater understanding of how to take care of their teeth, so they can stay healthier in the future.
Paying for Periodontal Care
In Craven County, we care about the patient experience. When your teeth or gums cause pain, you want to get treatment as soon as possible. The last thing you want to worry about is dealing with a complicated payment process.
Fortunately, we make the payment process simple. We’re a fee-for-service clinic, but we take most insurance providers, so once you provide insurance information, we can file your claim for you.
If you have a tight budget, we can help you set up a payment plan through CareCredit or Sunbit. These services cover your procedure up front, allowing you to pay back the balance over time. This way, more people can get the dental help they need right away when they need it.
Address Gum Disease With a Treatment From Our Team
Gum disease affects millions of people all over the world, but it doesn’t need to affect you. If you’re struggling with tooth or gum pain and sensitivity, come speak with our team about periodontal care in Craven County.
Request a consultation, and we can perform a teeth cleaning, or if necessary, a more in-depth treatment.
You can also learn more about your options with our online tool. Get your gums the care they deserve with a treatment from Evolve Dentistry & Aesthetics.
