If you have severe gum disease, then you should schedule an appointment with a Horsham periodontist. The symptoms of mild gingivitis include having swollen, red or bleeding gums, but if you have developed periodontal disease, then you will have additional problems. These problems could include receding gum tissue around the teeth, or alternatively, you might have teeth that are loose. With an examination from our periodontist in Horsham, he might find that you have pus seeping from your gums or sores inside your mouth. You may also have persistent halitosis and a foul taste in your mouth. Fortunately, there are treatments for periodontal disease to save your teeth and to avoid additional infection in your gums. Here are some of the treatments available from our periodontist.

Treatment 1: Antibiotic Medications

First, a Horsham periodontist can prescribe oral antibiotics to reduce the amount of dangerous bacteria in your mouth. While you are taking antibiotics for 10 days, you will also rinse your mouth with an antiseptic mouthwash that will destroy additional bacteria. This treatment makes it easier for our periodontist to begin the other treatments to reduce the chances of additional infection in the alveolar bones or jawbone.

Treatment 2: Removing Dangerous Debris

Our periodontist in Horsham can use a laser to remove the dangerous debris from your teeth or gums. Before this process begins, you will need sedation and pain relievers. Our periodontist must scrape away decayed gum tissue or bacteria from your mouth. This includes working on the sensitive roots of the teeth to prevent an infection deeper within the gum tissue. Removing the bacteria and food debris from the pockets around the teeth is essential to overcome periodontal disease.

Treatment 3: Eliminating the Pockets around Your Teeth

You shouldn’t have deep pockets around your teeth because the gum tissue is supposed to cover the roots of the teeth and the base of the teeth. If you have dental pockets, our Horsham periodontist can perform gum-grafting surgery using your own tissue or artificial tissue. You are anesthetized for gum surgery, and our periodontist in Horsham can use special techniques to attach the graft to the area around your tooth to protect its root.

Treatment 4: Lengthening Your Dental Crowns

Rather than having receding gums, you might have gum tissue overgrowth that requires removal to improve the appearance of your smile. Our Horsham periodontist can perform this surgery to give your teeth a natural appearance. During the surgery, the excess gum tissue is removed from the area around the teeth, and our periodontist can also use a laser or cutting tools to cut away any bone tissue that is exposed. Contact Barry P. Levin DMD Jenkintown Periodontist & Implant Dentist at 215-635-0465.