Periodontal disease (gum disease) is a silent, typically painless disease that shows up as bone loss and increasing probe depths, or "pocket depths." Approximately 75% of the population has some form of periodontal disease. It is the number 1 cause of tooth loss in adults today.
It is important to note that periodontal disease has been linked to various systemic diseases including coronary heart disease, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. For more information on this, please see the Consequences of Periodontal Disease.
Non-surgical treatment of periodontal disease is a good starting point for mild to moderate cases and can sometimes arrest the process. Often, advanced cases are more appropriately treated with surgery.
In some cases the bone around the teeth can be regenerated or regrown. This is called Bone Grafting. For more information on this procedure, please click here.
In other cases the tissues are recontoured to reduce the periodontal pockets.
Recently, lasers have been evaluated for use in the treatment of periodontal disease. Most of the data is limited to date. The periodontists in this practice have information that may be useful if you are considering this. They are also actively involved in research on this topic.
Gum recession and gum grafts
Receding gums tends to happen more with age. Approximately 67% of the population has some degree of recession. Receding gums can create tooth sensitivity and aesthetic issues. In some cases it can compromise the health of the teeth and result in abscess formation and tooth loss. Recession can be treated a variety of ways and have continued to advance with time. There may be several options available to you to treat recession.
Pinnacle Peak Periodontics 7500 East Pinnacle Peak, Suite A200 Scottsdale, AZ 85255 480-563-4145 phone 480-563-4194 fax ralph@azperio.com bruce@azperio.com |
Paradise Valley Periodontics 10555 North Tatum Suite A106 Paradise Valley, AZ 85253 480-991-0090 phone 480-951-2278 fax steve@azperio.com |
Ahwatukee Periodontics 4350 E Ray Road, Bldg 2 Suite 110 Phoenix, AZ 85044 480-706-0777 phone 480-706-0825 fax randy@azperio.com |