Non-Surgical Treatment

The main cause of periodontal disease is bacteria in the form of plaque that forms on your teeth.  This plaque can damage the tissue around your teeth, causing pockets to form between the teeth and gums.  As these pockets become deeper, more bacteria accumulates, resulting in further bone and tissue loss.

Unfortunately, these pockets are too deep to be addressed by brushing and flossing at home or even by a routine professional cleaning from your dentist.  This type of cleaning is referred to as a prophylaxis and concentrates on cleaning the crown (visible portion of the tooth) and slightly below the gum line.

We address this problem by using a lot of the same instrutments typically used during a regular cleaning.  The difference is that we are carefully cleaning the roots below the gum line to the depth of the pockets.  The goal of the procedure is to eliminate the cause of periodontal disease by greatly reducing the number of bacteria below the gum line.  This helps reduce the inflammation and may cause the pocket depths decrease to normal levels.

 Reducing pockets and eliminating bacteria can arrest the progression of periodontal disease and help you keep your teeth.  It can also decrease your chances of developing more serious problems that can only be addressed through surgical procedures.