Dr. J. Craig Alexander is a
dentist in East Greenbush who believes in proactive dentistry. Proactive
dentistry is what keeps you out of the dentist’s chair and free from tooth
decay and gum disease.
While brushing twice and
flossing once each day is imperative, so is a healthy diet and regular checkups
with your dentist in East Greenbush. However, that isn’t the only thing that
you can do to keep you free from cavities and gingivitis.
Gingivitis and Periodontal
Disease
Both of these diseases cause
bleeding, red and swollen gums. Gingivitis, the less serious of the two, is
curable with periodontal treatment. Periodontitis on the other hand is not.
Periodontal disease destroys
the bone and causes tooth loss. In fact, the leading cause of tooth loss in
adults is periodontitis. If you believe you have gum disease or haven’t seen
Dr. J. Craig Alexander for some time schedule an appointment.
The sooner you can start
periodontal treatment the better, especially if you have it is gingivitis as
gingivitis is curable.
Periodontal Treatment
While professional cleanings
on a regular basis keep teeth clean sometimes scaling and root planing is
necessary to remove tartar.
Tartar is the hard stuff
that is impossible to remove without a dentist or dental hygienist. Also known
as calculus, tartar is what happens to plaque if you don’t brush and floss as
you should.
Scaling and Root Planing
Scaling and root planing is a
two part procedure that starts with your New York dentist removing the plaque
and tartar that is sitting below your gumline all the way down to the bottom or
the pocket.
The second part of the
procedure is where your dentist will start root planing. This is the part where
Dr. Alexander smooths the roots of the teeth. This helps your gums reattach
themselves.
In most cases your New York
periodontal dentist will perform the procedure in quadrants requiring
additional dental visits.
After your procedure you may
feel a bit tender and swollen. You may also experience some bleeding for a few
days.
Periodontal Follow Up Care
Your dentist may also place
medication into the pockets for additional healing. In most cases a scaling and
root planing session usually does the trick. However, with more serious cases
additional treatment may be required.
Moreover your dentist will
have you come in after treatment to make sure that you are healing properly.
If you haven’t been to your dentist, or suspect you may have gingivitis or the more serious periodontal disease, call or send a direct message and schedule an appointment with D. J. Craig Alexander today.
Proactive dentistry work. Call and schedule a visit today.