If you’ve been to the movies recently, you may have seen a preview of the newest Star Wars movie.
Maybe you’ve enjoyed the adventures of The Avengers or the Guardians of the Galaxy in recent years. In all those movies, several characters use lasers to fight for their particular cause.
Laser shows are often used as part of concerts or set to music, and laser hair removal has become fashionable as well.
You may not know that dentists are using lasers, too, in the fight against periodontal disease.
Keep reading, and you’ll learn more about how Beaumont Family Dentistry in Lexington is using high technology for your health.
Fighting gum disease
If you need treatment for periodontal disease (also called gum disease), then our office a great place to come.
Not so long ago in a galaxy not at all far away, dentists had to perform surgery to treat bad cases of gum disease. This meant cutting out the parts of your gums that had become infected.
This could leave your feel sore, and it took a little while to heal.
Today, lasers used in combination with other treatment methods often make those kinds of surgeries unnecessary.
Your best defense against gum disease is good oral hygiene. Brush and floss every day, and remember to come to our office for regular cleanings and exams. We may spot the signs of gum disease early, and help stop it from become something serious.
If you do develop a form of gum disease, such as periodontitis, we may need to do more than just clean your teeth.
One deep cleaning method is known as root scaling and planing. In our office, our hygienists use ultrasonic scalers to remove plaque that may be trapped underneath your gums.
The ultrasonic scalers are another example of technology in our office. This method is gentler on your gums and less stressful than the old method of scaling and planing.
We also may apply Arestin® to your gums. This is an antibiotic that is placed into the pockets below your gumline to treat any remaining infection, if needed.
Then, if we need to bring out the “big gun” (it’s really not that big), we can use our laser to “zap” any remaining infected areas. The laser allows our dentists to better target the infected area.
This leaves more of your healthy gums intact. It also seals your gums, which reduces bleeding, and it allows you to heal faster than you would with traditional surgery.
Our lasers may not make the cool sounds you’ll hear in the movies, but they are a wonderful tool to help our patients.
The signs of gum disease
In all honesty, we hope we never have a reason to use our lasers, and you should hope for the same thing. If we do, it means you are in need of serious periodontal disease treatment.
You may be wondering how you can tell if you are showing signs of gum disease.
You should be aware that periodontal disease is common. It may be a mild irritation, which you can deal with through better oral hygiene, or it may become an infections that could lead to lost teeth.
Bleeding is the most common symptom of gum disease. You should not bleed when you floss or after brushing your teeth. If you do, you could be going through the early stages of gum disease.
Another common sign is gums that are red and swollen gums. Persistent bad breath could also point to periodontal disease.
The symptoms we mentioned above are most often associated with gingivitis, which is the milder form of gum disease. Brushing and flossing to remove plaque from your teeth and between your teeth and gums can go a long way toward slowing down gingivitis.
If you don’t take action, however, you could develop periodontitis. In this form of gum disease, you may notice that your gums are receding. That means they appear to be pulling away from your teeth.
Recession can create pockets between your teeth and gums. Infections in these pockets can harm your gums and the bone underneath. If this happens, your teeth may feel loose or fall out.
To keep this from happening, remember to brushing twice a day for two minutes at a time and flossing once a day, and keep your appointments with for professional dental cleanings.
Don’t make us zap you
All kidding aside, laser treatments for periodontal disease are an excellent development. This is safer for our patients and more effective in turning back those infections that may have taken hold.
If you are in need of periodontal treatment or routine oral care, the team at Beaumont Family Dentistry is ready and waiting to help you and your family. Call any of our Lexington offices at 859-223-2120 , 859-687-0975, or 859-368-8260, or use our online form to make an appointment today.