Periodontics in Bloomington, MN
Prevent tooth loss with treatment for gum disease at River Bluff Dental.
Restore the Health of Your Gums and Teeth
Our periodontal therapy can help your oral health get back on track.
Gum health is the foundation of a strong, beautiful smile. Periodontal disease—commonly known as gum disease—affects millions of people, often without noticeable symptoms in the early stages. Left untreated, it can lead to gum recession, tooth loss, and even systemic health issues like heart disease and diabetes.
River Bluff Dental provides expert periodontal care in Bloomington, MN, helping you regain and maintain healthy gums through advanced treatment options.
Understanding Gum Disease
Gum disease develops when plaque and bacteria build up around the gumline, leading to inflammation and infection. There are two main stages:
- Gingivitis: The earliest stage, marked by swollen, red gums that may bleed when brushing or flossing. At this point, the damage is reversible with professional cleanings and improved oral care.
- Periodontitis: An advanced stage where gum infection causes damage to the bone supporting the teeth, leading to loose teeth and eventual tooth loss. This stage requires specialized periodontal therapy to prevent further damage.
Ignoring gum disease can have serious consequences, but early diagnosis and treatment can save your teeth and improve your overall well-being.
Signs You May Need Periodontal Therapy
Gum disease can progress silently, often causing damage before noticeable symptoms appear. Recognizing the early warning signs and seeking treatment promptly can prevent further complications. You may need periodontal therapy if you experience any of the following:
Don’t Ignore the Warning Signs
Gum disease won’t go away on its own, and delaying treatment can lead to tooth loss and other serious health concerns. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, schedule a periodontal evaluation as soon as possible. Early intervention leads to better outcomes and helps protect your smile for years to come.
Benefits of Periodontal Therapy
Here are just a few ways periodontal therapy helps patients.
How Periodontal Therapy Works
Early detection of gum disease at River Bluff Dental can help treat the problem.
Every case of gum disease is unique, which is why we customize treatment plans based on your needs.
- Comprehensive Evaluation
Your journey to healthier gums begins with a thorough assessment, including X-rays and periodontal probing to measure pocket depth. We identify risk factors—such as oral hygiene, lifestyle, and genetics—and start with the least invasive treatment options whenever possible.
- Non-Surgical Treatment
For mild to moderate gum disease, scaling and root planing removes plaque and bacteria below the gumline while smoothing tooth roots to prevent reinfection. Targeted antibiotics may also be used to fight infection. We closely monitor your progress, adjusting treatment as needed.
- Advanced Solutions
For severe cases, surgical options help restore gum and bone health:
- Gum Grafts: Protect exposed roots and reduce sensitivity.
- Bone Grafts: Regenerate lost bone structure for stronger support.
- Gum Flap Surgery: Lifts gum tissue to deep-clean infected areas.
- Pocket Reduction Surgery: Reduces periodontal pocket depth for easier maintenance.
- Crown Lengthening: Reshapes the gumline for functional and aesthetic improvements.
- Ongoing Maintenance
After treatment, we recommend a customized oral hygiene routine and more frequent dental visits to prevent reinfection.
When periodontal disease causes irreversible damage, tooth loss may occur. In such cases, once the gums have healed, a dental implant can replace missing teeth, restoring both function and aesthetics.
Our goal is to stop gum disease in its tracks, strengthen your oral health, and keep your smile healthy for years to come.
Why Choose River Bluff Dental for Periodontal Care?
Our skilled professionals specialize in diagnosing and treating all stages of gum disease.
We understand that dental treatment can feel overwhelming, so we prioritize comfort and clear communication.
We use the latest dental techniques to provide efficient and effective treatment.
From prevention to restoration, we offer complete oral health solutions under one roof.
FAQ about Periodontal Therapy
- What does periodontal treatment involve?
Periodontal treatment helps to restore the health of your gums and, in turn, your teeth. Early detection of gum disease and a periodontal therapy plan are crucial to treating periodontitis and preventing tooth loss.
Step one is to schedule a consultation with our dentist in Bloomington, MN who can properly examine your gum health.
Bacteria that stick to teeth and irritate gums lead to gum disease. We first try to control the bacteria. If the infection is treated but the tooth is damaged, we can plan to restore your smile with restorative or cosmetic dentistry.
Each case of gum disease varies on the patient, but we typically begin with the least invasive and most cost-effective procedure. The first phase is scaling and root planing, where we do a deep cleaning of the affected tooth above and below the gumline. Targeted medication may be prescribed if necessary.
Our dental team at River Bluff Dental will monitor your progress and, if needed, move on to the next phase of treatment. These treatments are more invasive, but it’s important to note that all periodontal therapy is safe and pain-free with anesthesia.
Surgical periodontal therapies include gum grafts, bone grafts, gum flap surgery, pocket reduction surgery, and dental crown lengthening. If there is tooth loss caused by gum disease, we first treat the infection, and once the gum heals, restore the tooth with a dental implant.
After periodontal therapy, preventative care is essential to maintain healthy gums. This includes brushing twice a day, flossing, maintaining biannual dental cleanings and exams, and limiting sugar intake.
- What are three nonsurgical periodontal treatments?
The three nonsurgical periodontal treatment options include scaling and root planing to remove tartar and bacteria below the gumline, placement of medication below the gumline, and systemic antimicrobials.
Step one of periodontal treatment would be to complete scaling and root planing. After a follow-up, the dentist can determine the next step, such as a targeted medicine application.
Our goal is to use the least invasive and cost-effective treatment for your periodontal treatment. If you’re wondering which treatment is best for you, please schedule a consultation with our Bloomington, MN dentist.
- Is periodontal therapy necessary?
Periodontal therapy is necessary to restore your oral health and prevent tooth loss when periodontal disease is present and affects your gums and bone.
Signs of periodontal disease include swollen or red gums, bleeding gums, visible pockets between gums and teeth, receding gums, bad breath, and loose teeth. Unfortunately, some signs aren’t obvious to patients, which is why it’s so important to visit your dentist regularly who can properly diagnose and monitor the health of your gums and teeth.
Untreated gum disease puts you at risk of severe health problems and disease, and irreversible tooth loss. Don’t let a preventable dental condition lead to severe complications that require extra time, money, and stress.
Step one is a diagnosis for any stage of gum disease and then a treatment plan with periodontal therapy. Patients must then maintain a healthy lifestyle and dental hygiene to keep their gums healthy. All periodontal therapies are safe and effective in helping patients get back on track to healthy gums and teeth, and in turn, their overall health.
- Does periodontal treatment work?
Yes, periodontal treatment works and takes less time and money when periodontitis is caught early. Our dentist creates a custom treatment plan and monitors progress to help your gums and teeth heal from gum disease. After that, maintenance is important to prevent gum disease from coming back.
Periodontal treatment and therapy are most effective if patients follow instructions and maintenance post-treatment. By adequately following your dentist’s instructions, you can prevent gum disease recurrence and enjoy a happy and healthy mouth.
- Can teeth be saved with periodontal disease? When periodontal disease is diagnosed and treated early, nonsurgical treatments can fix the issue and prevent tooth loss.
For more serious periodontal disease, which causes bone loss and loose teeth, a specialist may have to perform surgery. If a tooth isn’t saveable, dental implant options are available; and they look and feel just like natural teeth!
Early stages of periodontal disease can most likely be treated with periodontal therapy to remove plaque and tartar at the gumline and below it to treat gum disease effectively. When bacteria get trapped below the gumline, it can wreak havoc by destroying the gum and bone tissue, in turn leading to damaged and loosened gums that lead to tooth loss.
Regular dentist visits are crucial to your health because dentists can find issues that you may not realize exist, such as gum disease. Gum disease can even be present without pain for years, but some visible signs include swollen gums, red gums, bleeding gums during brushing or flossing, loose teeth, and bad breath.
Schedule a periodontal therapy appointment in Bloomington, MN today.
