Gum disease is a devastating condition that can impact the health and appearance of your smile. Indeed, advanced and untreated gum disease (often called periodontal disease or periodontitis) can even lead to permanent tooth loss.
Don’t give gum disease a chance to irreparably damage your smile. Contact Dr. Helen Ragsdale at Austin Laser Dentist today. Together with her experienced team, Dr. Ragsdale can help you address periodontitis with comfortable, effective, and non-surgical solutions. Schedule your appointment online here, or call our Austin, TX, dental clinic at (512) 346-4690.
In this blog post, we tell you how you can treat gum disease. Worried about the out-of-pocket costs associated with treatment? Don’t be! We tell you how an in-house dental plan can help you get the care you deserve.
Root Planing and Scaling
You may be familiar with preventive dental cleanings. Root planing and scaling are like the next level up.
This treatment removes hardened plaque from around the gumline and smooths the rough surface of the tooth’s root. By smoothing the tooth’s root, plaque does not have a coarse surface to attach to in the future.
As a result, scaling away plaque and planing a tooth’s root may be the best way to prevent future buildup and treat gum disease.
Laser Gum Surgery
In the past, dentists trimmed away dead or damaged gingival (gum) tissue with the help of sharp scalpels. Today, however, modern dentists use safer, more effective tools, such as soft-tissue lasers.
Dr. Helen Ragsdale can effortlessly remove disease-damaged tissue with laser gum surgery. This procedure effectively decontaminates the area while giving patients a ‘blank slate’ from which to begin their healing journey.
Laser Pocket Decontamination
In some cases, periodontal disease is not advanced enough to warrant laser gum surgery. Instead, these patients may want to try laser pocket decontamination.
This procedure uses lasers to kill the bacteria deep inside periodontal pockets without removing gum tissue. As a result, patients can limit the number of disease-causing microbes in their mouths.
Gum Grafts
Prolonged and untreated gum disease can cause gingival tissue to recede. This can leave the roots of teeth vulnerable, which may result in painful cavities, infections, and, eventually, tooth loss. Gum grafts reinforce weak gingival tissue and protect sensitive tooth roots from future damage.
In-House Dental Plan for Gum Disease Treatment
We know what you’re thinking – how do I pay for gum disease treatment if I don’t have dental insurance? With an in-house dental plan, of course!
At Austin Laser Dentist, we offer in-house dental plans that serve as an economical alternative to traditional dental insurance. So, if you’re one of the estimated 33% of Americans who do not currently have dental benefits, then ask us how an in-house dental plan can help.
Affordable Gum Disease Treatment in Austin, TX
Experts believe that almost half of all adults aged 30 and older have some form of periodontitis. Give your smile a fighting chance with gentle and affordable gum disease treatment in Austin, TX. Request your appointment at Austin Laser Dentist online here or call us at (512) 346-4690 to get started.
