Periodontal Therapy
in Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls & Hayden, ID

Gum disease always begins as gingivitis, and if it is left untreated, it can progress into mild, moderate, and severe periodontal disease. While gingivitis can be reversed by enhancing your at-home oral care routine and scheduling a professional teeth cleaning, periodontal disease must be treated by a dental professional who can restore the gums and ensure the teeth are healthy as well. To learn more or to schedule an appointment with our team, please contact our front office!

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What causes periodontal disease?

The main causes of periodontal disease are poor oral hygiene habits and regularly smoking or chewing tobacco. However, there are a number of other things that can cause gum disease too, like genetics, pregnancy, taking certain medications, and autoimmune disorders like diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and Crohn’s disease. No matter the severity or cause of your gum disease, our team would be happy to assess your situation and create a custom treatment plan for you.

What is periodontal therapy?

Periodontal therapy usually requires more than two routine dental visits per year. These appointments involve scaling and root planing, which are also called deep cleanings. Scaling is when the built-up plaque and tartar is carefully removed from the gum pockets, and root planing involves smoothing out the roots of the teeth to help the gums reattach to the front of each tooth. Our office also applies Arestin® antibiotic in the gum pockets, which helps kill harmful bacteria for months after each treatment.

How painful is periodontal therapy?

Cleaning below the gumline can be uncomfortable, which is why a local anesthetic is always used to completely numb the gums before the scaling begins. To reduce the amount of soreness that occurs after a deep cleaning, most scaling and root planing treatments are actually broken up into several appointments, and only one section of the mouth is focused on at a time. This is more convenient for patients who don’t want to sit in a dental chair for hours, and it allows our team to truly clean and treat each section with care.

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Periodontal Therapy in Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls & Hayden, ID

What causes periodontal disease?

What is periodontal therapy?

How painful is periodontal therapy?

Riverstone Dental Care

Periodontal Therapy
in Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls & Hayden, ID