Periodontal Care

Periodontal Care in Nashville TN

You know how to properly brush and floss your teeth to help prevent cavities, but do you know how to take care of your gums? Unfortunately, many people suffer from gum disease, also known as periodontal disease. The entire team at Miller Family Dentistry in Nashville, Tennessee, is dedicated to improving the health of your entire mouth, including your gums. That's why we offer periodontal care as part of our regular services.


What is Periodontal Care?

Periodontal dental services is the care of your gum tissues. Your gums support your teeth, so taking good care of them is extremely important. Getting periodontal care helps keep your whole mouth healthy. Gum disease leads to bone loss, which can lead to loose teeth, discomfort, and even tooth loss. Gum disease has also been linked to heart disease, GI distress, and even some cancers. Periodontal care is key to preventing gum disease.


What are the Signs of Periodontal Disease?

The major sign we notice most often in cases of periodontal disease is bleeding gums. If your gums bleed, they are not healthy. Other signs include redness in the gums, a hard buildup on the teeth at the gum height, receding gums, loose teeth, and bad breath. Gum disease usually is caused by plaque that builds up below your gumline. If the plaque hardens into tartar, it can irritate and even infect your gum tissues.

Can Gum Disease be Treated?

The good news is that periodontal disease can be treated and, in early stages, even reversed. After treatment, you need to take daily care of your gums and teeth, which includes coming in for regular checkups so our dental team can track any changes in your gum tissues. In more advanced cases, gum disease can be stopped, but the consequences of gum and bone loss cannot always be repaired.

How Does Gum Disease Progress?

Gum disease generally takes a long period to advance into its late stages, but it can begin quickly if the tissues are not properly taken care of. Your overall health can also affect the progression of the disease. For example, people with diabetes may be at greater risk for gum disease.


What Periodontal Treatment is Offered at Miller Family Dentistry?

At our office, our professional dental team offers routine periodontal therapy, which is usually called a cleaning. Periodontal cleaning, also known as a deep cleaning, occurs when tartar is built up on your teeth and needs to be removed by scaling and root planing. This is offered depending on the extent of the gum disease.


What Should You Expect During a Periodontal Care Appointment?

At Miller Family Dentistry, we are fortunate to have excellent hygienists who are highly skilled and truly care for their patients. Our goal is to give every patient the best oral health possible. This takes the cooperation of the patient, the hygienist, and the dentist.

If the extent of your gum disease requires deep teeth cleaning, you can expect gum scaling and root planing. Scaling involves the removal of plaque and tartar above and below the gum line, all the way to the bottom of the pocket. Root planing involves smoothing out your tooth roots so your gums reattach to your teeth. A local anesthetic is usually used during the process. The cost of periodontal care varies depending on the extent of the gum disease.


Do You Have Gum Disease?

If you think you might have gum disease, it's best to get professional periodontal care as soon as possible, so the gum disease can be treated and stopped. Contact our office in Nashville, Tennessee, to schedule an appointment today. We offer personalized periodontal care and can educate you on properly caring for your gums between appointments.

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