AMES, IA, DENTAL SERVICES – DRS. NIEGSCH, KROOK, & MORGAN
Gum Disease Treatment

Scaling & Planing For Gum Disease

When you come to Dentistry At Somerset after noticing symptoms of gum disease, we’ll diagnose your condition and see if you’re a candidate for scaling and root planning. This is a method of gum disease treatment that deep cleans your gums. One of our caring hygienists will remove tartar buildup from underneath your gums and from the roots of your teeth. Continued infection can lead to jawbone decay and tooth loss so this process is extremely important.

Scaling and Root Planning are used as a first effort to resolving gum disease issues before any major damage has been done. We may also recommend at-home care and products that will help your gums to recover. Our team will determine any next steps with regard to treatment, which will include how frequently you should be seen to keep further infection or damage to your teeth from happening.

The Best Treatment is Prevention

Gum disease is a widespread disease that affects almost everyone at some point in their lives. There are a few things you can do during home care to prevent gum disease:

• Use excellent dental hygiene techniques including brushing, flossing, and mouthwash
• Avoid all tobacco use (this can also lead to oral cancer)
• Avoid certain medications (ask our doctors which medications should be avoided)
• Pregnancy causes many hormonal changes which may increase the risk of the expectant mother developing gingivitis (inflamed gums)
• Genetics can be a factor. If your family members have also experienced gum disease, it’s likely to be a factor for you as well. Talk to the Dentistry at Somerset dental team when you first visit our office about this so we can help you to buck the trend.
• Diabetes that’s not controlled well may lead to higher glucose (sugar) levels in the mouth which can increase the presence of bacteria and lead to gum disease.