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954 52nd Street SE Kentwood, MI 49508 (616) 724-1780 |
1235 W. State ST
Hastings, MI 49058
(269) 948-8029
Patient Library
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Archive:
- 2019
- February (5)
- You May Need Your Dentist's Help Easing the Pain of Severe Canker Sores
- 4 Things to Avoid if You Want to Support Your Child's Dental Development
- Here's What you Need to Know about a Root Canal Treatment
- Stop Gum Disease Before it Harms Your Health
- Your Regular Dental Visits Might Change if You've had Gum Disease
- January (6)
- A New Veneer with Minimal or No Tooth Alteration
- 3 Reasons Why Your New Dentist Needs Your Treatment Records
- What Happens in a Root Canal Treatment and How it Can Save Your Tooth
- 'Get Rid' of Those Unattractive Teeth with Porcelain Veneers
- Dental Implants Better than Ever thanks to Ongoing Tech Advances
- 4 Ways to Check on Your Brushing and Flossing Effectiveness
- 2018
- December (6)
- Treating Gum Disease around Tooth Roots is Hard - but Not Impossible
- Take Care of Your Dental Appliance and It Will Take Care of You
- Porcelain Veneers Might not be the Best Option for Teenagers
- Be Alert to the Unintended Consequences of Cancer Treatment to Oral Health
- Early Action Needed to Save Your Tooth from Root Resorption
- Keeping Your Smile Healthy Through the Holidays
- November (6)
- A Stainless Steel Crown Could Help a Struggling Primary Molar Last Longer
- Have Your Child's Chronic Mouth Breathing Checked to Avoid Bite Problems
- Don't Ignore Sudden Tooth Pain - Your Teeth may be Telling you Something
- Advanced Equipment and Safe Practices Ensure X-Ray Safety for Children
- TMD and Fibromyalgia Could Share Links in Chronic Pain
- Practice Caution with Energy or Sports Drinks to Protect Your Enamel
- October (6)
- Five Tips for Top-Notch Tooth Brushing
- New Dental Advances Promise Better Outcomes for Treating Decay
- Dental Implants can also Support Other Traditional Restorations
- Inflammation is a Key Element in Both Oral and Systemic Diseases
- Loose Permanent Teeth is a Problem - take Action Now
- Stay Ahead of Plaque Buildup with Effective Brushing and Flossing
- September (6)
- The Parent-Dentist Partnership: Establishing Better Oral Health for Your Child
- 4 Reasons Why You May Need to See a Periodontist for Your Gum Disease
- What You Should Know About a Home Teeth Whitening Kit
- 3 Surprising Sugar Sources Your Baby Might be Consuming
- Protect Your Teeth During Football Season
- Ease Your Child's Teething Discomfort with these Tips
- July (7)
- Implant-Based Removable Dentures a Good Choice for Patients with Extensive Bone Loss
- Think Water First for Summer Thirst
- Don't Take a Vacation From Oral Hygiene This Summer!
- No- or Minimal-Prep Veneers Reduce Permanent Alterations to Your Teeth
- We'll Help You Maintain Your Oral Health After Gum Disease
- Your Dental Care Efforts are Just as Important as Your Dentist's
- Tips for Picture-Perfect Summer Smiles
- June (6)
- Bone Grafting Might be Necessary Before You Obtain an Implant
- FAQs About Children's Dental Development
- Take These Measures to Lower Your Child's Tooth Decay Risk
- Finding the Right Solution for Your Gummy Smile
- June Is Men's Health Month
- Use the Same Prevention Strategy to Defeat Tooth Decay and Gum Disease
- March (5)
- It's Spring Cleaning Time...for Your Teeth!
- Provisional Restorations let you Try out Your New Smile First
- 3 Fluoride Sources You Should Monitor for Your Family's Dental Health
- 3 Tips for Helping Your Kids Develop Great Tooth-Friendly Habits
- Why the Ointment You're Using Could be Making Your Facial Rash Worse
- 2017
- 2016
- November (5)
- Reduce Your Oral Cancer Risk with Better Diet and Lifestyle Choices
- Clear Aligners Make it Easier for Teenagers to have Their Teeth Straightened
- 4 Reasons you may want Your Dentist to Whiten Your Teeth
- Transform Your Smile and Dental Health by Correcting Your Bad Bite
- Follow These Common Sense Steps When Your Child has a Toothache
- October (5)
- What to Expect Before, During and After Implant Surgery
- Don't let Gum Disease - the 'Other Dental Disease' - Rob you of Your Smile
- Reduce Sugar Consumption - for a Healthier Mouth and Body
- Keeping up Good Hygiene Still a Necessity with Dental Implants
- Teenagers May Need a Temporary Tooth Replacement
- August (5)
- Do you need Simple Tooth Removal or Surgery? It Depends on a few Factors
- People Born with Missing Teeth can Still Gain a Beautiful Smile
- You can Still have Implants with Diabetes - if you have it under Control
- See Your new Look Before Dental Work with a 'Trial Smile'
- Topical Fluoride Adds Extra Protection against Tooth Decay
- June (5)
- Keeping Gum Disease at Bay Could Help Your Overall Health
- The Risk for Gum Disease Increases While Wearing Braces
- Monitoring Blood Pressure is Also Important During Dental Care
- Adult Tooth Root Resorption is a Serious Issue that Requires Prompt Action
- Weigh a Poor Smile's Emotional and Social Cost when Considering Restorations
- March (5)
- Surgically Accessing Sinuses can Help Grow New Bone for Implants
- Kids, Cats and Canines: Dental Development Through the Ages
- Removable Dentures Remain a Viable Option for People with Total Tooth Loss
- Advancing Gum Disease Requires Thorough Treatment to Control it
- Support Your Child's Teeth Development with Proper Hygiene and Dental Care
- 2015
- 2014
- December (5)
- Reduce Your Risk of Oral Cancer With a Healthy Whole Food Diet
- Periodontal Surgery may be Needed to Halt Gum Disease and Encourage Healing
- Extend the Life of Your Dental Appliance With Proper Care
- More Than a new Smile - Dental Implants Help Stop Bone Loss as Well
- Dealing With Dental Emergencies While Traveling Abroad
- August (5)
- Does Your Toothbrush Need A Cleaning?
- Replace Missing Teeth to Prevent Other Teeth From Moving Out of Place
- Composite Resins are a Viable Restoration Option for Mildly Defective Teeth
- A Fixed Bridge Remains an Effective Option for Tooth Replacement
- Make Informed Choices on Drinking Water by Knowing the Facts
- April (5)
- Five Things You Should Know About Sleep Apnea
- Seeking Relief From Burning Mouth Syndrome
- Non-Vital Bleaching Removes Unsightly Tooth Discoloration From Within
- Considering Bone and Gums Critical to Achieving a Better Smile With Implants
- Know What to do to Ease Your Child Out of the Thumb Sucking Habit
- 2013
- 2012
- 2011
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- celebrity smiles (6)
- dental hygiene (4)
- teeth whitening (12)
- cosmetic dentistry (41)
- dental implants (36)
- diabetes (2)
- periodontal (gum) disease (5)
- smile makeover (24)
- wedding day smiles (2)
- veneers (6)
- teeth grinding (5)
- oral health (72)
- night guards (1)
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- mouthguards (4)
- sports dentistry (4)
- dental injuries (5)
- nutrition (10)
- oral cancer (6)
- fluoride (5)
- dental injury (3)
- dental emergency (2)
- root canal (10)
- tooth decay (19)
- dental health tips (1)
- oral hygiene (33)
- tmd (4)
- tmj (5)
- laser dentistry (3)
- common symptoms (6)
- wedding day smile (1)
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- pediatric dentistry (30)
- wisdom teeth (3)
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- gum recession (6)
- endodontics (1)
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- bone graft (1)
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- cancer (1)
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Categories:
Treating Gum Disease may Require Invasive Procedures

Periodontal (gum) disease causes more than simple gum swelling—this bacterial infection can harm and destroy your teeth’s supporting structures, including the bone. Its aggressiveness sometimes requires equally aggressive treatment.
Gum disease usually begins with dental plaque, a thin film of bacteria and food particles on tooth and gum surfaces. Without proper oral hygiene plaque builds up with large populations of bacteria that can trigger an infection.
The growth of this disease is often “silent,” meaning it may initially show no symptoms. If it does, it will normally be reddened, swollen and/or bleeding gums, and sometimes pain. A loose tooth is often a late sign the disease has severely damaged the gum ligaments and supporting bone, making tooth loss a distinct possibility.
If you’re diagnosed with gum disease, there is one primary treatment strategy—remove all detected plaque and calculus (tartar) from tooth and gum surfaces. This can take several sessions because as the gums begin responding to treatment and are less inflamed, more plaque and calculus may be discovered.
Plaque removal can involve various techniques depending on the depth of the infection within the gums. For surfaces above or just below the gum line, we often use a technique called scaling: manually removing plaque and calculus with specialized instruments called scalers. If the infection has progressed well below the gum line we may also use root planing, a technique for “shaving” plaque from root surfaces.
Once infection reaches these deeper levels it’s often difficult to access. Getting to it may require a surgical procedure known as flap surgery. We make incisions in the gums to form what looks like the flap of an envelope. By retracting this “flap” we can then access the root area of the tooth. After thoroughly cleansing the area of infection, we can do regenerative procedures to regain lost attachment. Then we suture the flap of gum tissue back into place.
Whatever its stage of development, it’s important to begin treatment of gum disease as soon as it’s detected. The earlier we can arrest its spread, the less likely we’ll need to employ these more invasive procedures. If you see any signs of gum disease as mentioned before, contact us as soon as possible for a full examination.
If you would like more information on preventing and treating gum disease, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Treating Difficult Areas of Periodontal Disease.”