Your gums can recede for a few different reasons, but the most common is periodontal (gum) disease. Some medications, tobacco use, and other factors can increase the risk and speed up the process. While you can never grow back the gum tissue that you lose, the tissue loss can be stopped and kept at bay.
Why you should care about receding gums
Even if the receding of your gums is not advanced enough to cause comment, you should still care about receding gums. The job of your gums is to hold your teeth in place and provide them with stability. If the gum is decreased or gone completely, there is nothing holding in your teeth and they will fall out, usually at the root. Receding gums can also cause infections and abscesses in the mouth.
Root Planing and Scaling
Your dentist has probably suggested root planing, root scaling, or both due to the severity of gum tissue loss or bacteria development. These two procedures are very similar, safe, and rather painless. The root planing and scaling is done in our office in conjunction with a laser. The laser also removes pockets of debris and bacteria that could cause the problem to return if untreated.
How laser dentistry helps us help you
Our laser dentistry equipment and expertise allows us to treat your whole body in the way it was meant to be treated. The laser makes the other procedures that you have to address receding gums look like a joke, mostly because these methods are both faster and less painful. Laser dentistry also reduces bleeding and downtime, as well as reducing the risk of dry sockets and other dental complications.
If you would like to work with a dentist who understands your situation, contact us or call us 813 872-8300 today for an appointment.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Hilary Dalton, DMD, MS
Dr. Hilary Dalton owns Dalton Dental, a general and cosmetic dental practice in Tampa, FL. She is board-certified in Periodontology & Dental Implant Surgery and in Procedural Medicine in Aesthetics.
She also holds certifications in microsurgery, laser proficiency, Invisalign, master esthetic facial injector, PRP, and facial laser.
She graduated from Tufts University’s School of Dental Medicine in Boston with an award for Outstanding Leadership and Extraordinary Clinical Achievement.
To learn more about Dr. Hilary Dalton, visit our About page.